Illstarred Trips
by bulletproofweeks
Summary: The CBI team has an assignment in a remote town in northern California, but they find that the real challenge is getting there. What happens when Jane and Lisbon are forced to share a hotel room? Jisbon, Permanently Discontinued
1. Plane Tickets

**I took a break from studying and this was the result.**

**So there are a bunch of stories popping up about Jane and Lisbon getting stuck in the same hotel room and so at around 4 AM I invented my own version. The hotel room comes in later.**

**As for my other unfinished stories, I'm working on them and I'll update as soon as I can.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

**Ill-starred Trips**

Chapter 1: Plane Tickets

Lisbon moved slowly down the isle, scanning the numbers above each seat and comparing them with the number on her ticket. Then she finally found her row near the back of the plane and realized that she would be sitting in the middle between two other passengers. Her shoulders slumped, evidently disappointed at her luck. The two other passengers had not arrived yet, so she quickly strapped herself into her seat and tried to make herself comfortable.

She pulled out a pillow from under her seat and placed it behind her neck. She hoped she would at least be able to relax during the flight. After all, the one consultant that could annoy her right now was seated on the opposite side of the plane.

She had checked.

Lisbon observed the passengers as the plane was filling up. The rest of her team, except Jane, headed up the isle in her direction. Cho and Rigsby took their respective seats in her same row, but in the middle isle. Cho was only a seat away from her. Then Van Pelt maneuvered past two men towards her window seat in the row in front of her.

Lisbon sighed, still wondering who would be sitting next to her.

A young, red-haired boy, about 9 years old, started towards her. Dread began to swell inside her. The last thing she needed was to be seated next to a kid for two to three hours. Sure enough, the blue-eyed boy pointed at the number above her seat and sat down on her right.

She closed her eyes, not wanting to know who would take the remaining seat.

"Excuse me, ma'am." Lisbon opened her eyes to see a dark haired, dark skinned man smiling down at her. She immediately sat up and let him by, quickly noting that the man was attractive, polite, and that he was wearing sweet smelling cologne. He sat down by the window and strapped himself in.

_Maybe this won't be too bad._

"Hi. I'm Teresa Lisbon." She introduced herself, brushing her hair from her face before holding out her hand.

"Gregg Koonce," he replied, shaking her hand. His hands were very warm. "So what's your destination?" He asked curiously with a soft, friendly smile.

"Some town in the middle of nowhere," she shrugged, not looking forward to the trip. The town didn't even have an airport, which means they would have to get a rental car and drive the rest of the way. "A town called Hombrook," she elaborated. The man didn't reply, instead his gaze focused on something… or someone behind her. She turned around and met Jane's bright blue eyes. He was resting his elbow on the isle seat in front of them and he had an amused grin plastered on his face.

"Jane!" Lisbon announced, thoroughly annoyed by his eavesdropping. Gregg glanced between the two.

"Can I help you?" He asked the blond-haired man with a genteel smile. Jane returned the smile.

"Actually, you can," Jane jumped on his words immediately. "Can you switch seats with me?" He asked honestly. The conversation started to draw the attention of the rest of the team. "My wife Teresa and I tried to book seats next to each other, but I somehow ended up on the other side. Do you mind?" He questioned, his tone sincere and forthcoming. Jane was an excellent liar, definitely one of the best. _She_ was even tempted to believe him. Lisbon frowned, but didn't call his bluff. She'd rather accept Jane as her 'husband' than have to explain to Gregg how a consultant on her team was pretending to be her husband so that he could sit next to her. She figured she might as well save her breath because either way, Jane had ruined any chances of her getting to know Gregg Koonce. The man's eyes revealed a hint of disappointment as he nodded, wiggled past Lisbon again, and then offered Jane the seat. Jane smiled at him and held out his hand.

"Gregg Koonce," he announced, shaking Jane's hand.

"Jane Lisbon." He lied again. "It's 23F." He added, gesturing in the direction, before squeezing past Lisbon and taking the window seat. Gregg smiled at Lisbon and Jane and then left to go find his seat. Lisbon slowly turned to glare at Jane who just smiled innocently.

"What the hell was that?" She admonished, barely able to contain herself. She could hear both Rigsby and Cho laughing. She glared at them and their laughter dissipated quickly.

"You said H-E-double hockey sticks!" The boy sitting next to her pointed out, shocked by her 'inappropriate' use of language. Lisbon wasn't sure what to say.

"Sorry," she replied finally, hoping her answer was sufficient. The boy just stared at her. Of course, Jane had to make it worse. He leaned forward so he could see the boy.

"You can't just say sorry after saying a word like _that_," Jane teased. Lisbon elbowed him in the side and glowered at him. He leaned forward slightly, rubbing his hand over the spot where she hit him. "First you cuss and now you're resorting to violence!" Jane remarked, feigning disgust. Lisbon was not amused. "Oh come on! He wasn't interested in _you_ anyways." Jane told her with a clever grin. Lisbon was hurt by his words and her frown deepened. Jane rolled his eyes. "He was more interested in _me_ than you," Jane explained as he pulled a magazine from the pouch in front of him and flipped through it. Lisbon considered the statement.

"You think he's gay?" She asked skeptically. Jane nodded, his eyes still trained on the magazine. Lisbon shook her head, convincing herself that what Jane thought didn't matter and that what he did was inexcusable. "I can't believe you did that." She muttered angrily, completely embarrassed by his act.

"You need to relax, _honey_," he commented nonchalantly. Lisbon used her hands to massage her temples, her face revealing her exasperation. She decided that her only course of action was to ignore him for the remainder of the flight. Meanwhile, the little boy pulled a NintendoDS out of his bag and began to play… with the sound on full volume.

She groaned, knowing this would be the trip from hell.

* * *

Jane had been abnormally quiet and hadn't said a word since they took off. Then again, Lisbon hadn't said anything either. By now her eyes were dropping lazily and she knew she would soon fall asleep. She wearily glanced over at Jane, who was staring out the window at the clouds. His gaze was fixated on the horizon, his face pensive. She wondered what he was thinking about. He suddenly shut his eyes tightly as if blocking out an image… or a memory. Lisbon sat up slightly, concerned.

"You okay?" She asked quietly, placing her hand on his arm. Jane opened his eyes and faced her.

"I'm fine," he replied with a small smile, yet Lisbon wasn't convinced.

It was starting to get dark outside and the cabin was relatively quiet. Jane leaned back against the headrest and closed his eyes. Lisbon thought that was the end of it, but Jane wasn't finished. "I was just… thinking about the first time she got on a plane-how excited she was." Jane confessed sadly, his eyes still closed and a faint smile on his lips. At first Lisbon was unsure of what he meant, but then realized he was talking about his daughter. Jane rarely talked about his family, if at all, so Lisbon was thoroughly surprised that he would share something so personal. She wasn't sure how to respond. "You don't have to say anything," Jane commented, still smiling. He didn't expect a reply. Lisbon's gaze shifted to her hands. "Another hour before we land," Jane remarked, glancing at his watch. Lisbon nodded slightly. She glanced over at Cho and Rigsby. Cho had the overhead light on and was reading a book whilst Rigsby was asleep with his head lulled back against the headrest. When she looked back at Jane his eyes were closed still and she couldn't tell if he was asleep or not. She leaned back against her pillow and closed her eyes, intending to rest for the final hour.

* * *

Cho nudged Rigsby, but the man didn't even stir. "Hey. Rigsby." He persisted, shaking him. Rigsby opened his eyes into slits and glanced over at his colleague.

"What?" He muttered wearily. Cho lifted his finger and pointed across the isle. Rigsby followed his gaze.

His boss, Teresa Lisbon, was nestled against Jane's shoulder with her hands huddled up against him, as if trying to stay warm, while Jane's arm was wrapped around her and was resting on her left shoulder. His head was leaning against hers and both were sleeping peacefully. Rigsby smiled.

"Ya think they like each other?" Rigsby slurred drearily with a goofy grin on his face.

"Of course they do," Cho replied matter-of-factly, returning to his book. Rigsby looked at him, clearly bemused. "It's obvious the way they play cat and mouse with each other and how they exchange furtive glances when they think no one's watching. They're meant for each other." He shrugged. Rigsby was surprised by Cho's observations. He leaned over to see what book he was reading.

Cho pulled away and gave him a curious look.

"A romance novel, perhaps?" Rigsby inquired, wondering whether Cho was a true romantic. Cho closed the book and leaned back in his seat.

Rigsby looked over at Jane and Lisbon to find a pair of blue eyes staring back at him. Jane was awake and watching him knowingly as if he had heard everything the two had said. Rigsby froze, as did Cho. Jane didn't move, not wanting to disturb Lisbon; rather, he flashed them a small smile before tilting his head against hers and closing his eyes again.


	2. Road Trips

**Here's a long chapter for your enjoyment! This was a lot of fun to write.**

Chapter 2: Road Trips

The first thing she noticed was the stirring scent of his cologne wafting into her dreams. Then there was his voice, which had the tenacity to call her name.

His voice made her smile.

"Lisbon."

Lisbon felt him shift beside her and place his hand on her shoulder. That's when it occurred to her that this wasn't a dream. She suddenly opened her eyes to find Jane staring at her with a smile in his beautiful blue eyes.

He observed her dazed expression as he held her in an upright position while people in the cabin began to gather their bags and exit the plane. Cho was standing in the isle looking down on her. Jane grinned and tilted his head. "The plane landed." He informed her. She just stared back at him wide-eyed, before glancing up at Cho and then over at Rigsby.

"Good morning," Cho remarked. Lisbon's eyebrows creased into a frown when she noticed how close she was to Jane. She quickly pushed away his hand and shifted in her seat so she was farther away from him. Jane smiled at her, not at all hurt by her embarrassed reaction. Though she tried to hide it, her cheeks blushed a faint pink as she self-consciously fixed her hair.

She tried to hide how mortified she was that her whole team had seen her sleeping on Jane's shoulder, but failed miserably. Jane laughed slightly before grabbing his bag and getting to his feet. She decided her best course of action was to pretend that it never happened. After all, it wasn't that strange for a tired woman to fall asleep on her best friend's shoulder. Well, for most women… and only when the friend in question is not Patrick Jane.

* * *

_An hour later at a car rental dealership…_

Jane and Van Pelt stood in the middle of the parking lot. Jane shuffled a deck of cards in his hands while Lisbon and Rigsby argued with the rental car salesmen over the red SUV the CBI had reserved. It had mysteriously disappeared and had been replaced by a small black BMW, so Lisbon, who dreaded a long drive in cramped quarters, was furious.

Meanwhile, Cho and Van Pelt watched Jane as he pulled a simple card trick.

"Is this your card?" Jane asked confidently, holding up the queen of hearts. Van Pelt's eyes widened with shock.

"How'd you do that?" She replied emphatically, completely bemused by Jane's methods. Jane simply smiled at her with an amused grin. "Oh come on! You have to tell." She persisted.

"Google it." Cho suggested, hiding his admiration for Jane's abilities under a veil of disinterest. "Obviously, Jane did." He quipped, just as Lisbon withdrew from her battle with the salesmen and returned with a set of keys jingling in her hand. Her frustrated expression, however, indicated that they were in for a long, uncomfortable journey.

"You rely too much on technology to solve your problems." Jane responded to Cho's comment, before resuming his habitual shuffling of the cards. "You lose the magic." He added as he followed Lisbon to the rental car.

"You don't believe in magic," Rigsby pointed out. Jane simply grinned and took his place in the passenger's seat.

"I called shotgun!" Rigsby whined, standing outside the car with his hands resting on the doorframe. Jane was a little surprised by his desire to sit up front, but had no intention of surrendering the spot.

"How old are you? Ten?" He remarked curiously, ignoring Rigsby's request.

"You always call it!" Rigsby explained, not wanting to squeeze into the backseats.

"Not today. Today I got here first." Jane countered with a clever smile.

"I'm not going to deal with this," Lisbon muttered, visibly irritated. "You two can switch half-way, okay?" She ordered. Jane simply smiled and Rigsby sighed and moved to the backseat.

"So we're driving into the middle of nowhere." Cho affirmed, pulling out his book for the long drive.

"I think it could be fun," Van Pelt remarked, taking an I-pod out of her bag.

"Road trip!" Jane exclaimed emphatically with a cunning smile. Lisbon glared at him. "Come on, someone had to say it," Jane defended. Lisbon rolled her eyes, before turning her attention to the road.

* * *

_Two and a half hours later…_

"Go fish," Jane replied. "Got any 3's?" He asked, turning to Rigsby. His eyes scanned over his cards with a clever smile on his lips.

"Dammit," Rigsby cursed, violently tossing Jane the three matching cards before throwing down his hand. Jane's smile widened. Cho remained enthralled in his book while Van Pelt played along with their game of go fish.

At their first stop, Rigsby and Jane had changed seats under Lisbon's orders and then once they stopped at a gas station, Cho was promoted to the front seat, while the other three continued their game of cards in the back.

"So I get how you can win at poker, black jack, etc., but how can you win at go fish?" Van Pelt questioned, also surrendering her hand. Jane had won every game since they had left the parking lot, which had been at least two hours ago. Actually, they should have reached their destination already.

"A magician never reveals his secrets," Jane responded, stacking up the stray cards.

"I had an uncle who was a magician," Rigsby announced randomly, then receiving curious glances from his colleagues. Conversation shifted to the front seats.

"We've passed that house," Cho stated as he glanced up from his book and observed their surroundings. Lisbon frowned.

"Cho, I would've noticed if we were driving in circles." Lisbon countered pointedly.

"Actually, Cho's right. We passed that house about three times now." Jane explained matter-of-factly. Lisbon's frown deepened and she glanced into the rearview mirror so she could see the consultant.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She argued, hostility and frustration evident in her features.

"Because I knew you wouldn't believe me." Jane shrugged, glancing up at the mirror so he could see her eyes. "I can drive if you want." He added.

"No." Lisbon answered without hesitation. "We're not lost," she affirmed forcefully. Jane shrugged, knowing that this was a lie. He was willing to wait.

"I never said we were." Jane replied. "Just that we're going around in circles." He admitted with a smile. In turn, he received another glare from the driver's seat.

* * *

_One hour later…_

Another hour had passed before Rigsby and Jane finally convinced Lisbon that they should stop for lunch… and for directions.

Now Jane, Van Pelt, and Rigsby were sitting at a corner table in a small, roadside diner in the midst of a desert. The diner had some charming qualities, but Lisbon was too busy to notice. Cho and her were talking to the lady at the counter and were examining a map of the region.

"I didn't think you could get lost nowadays with GPS systems, cell phones, and such," Rigsby commented as he took a bite of his turkey sandwich.

"I'm sure that's what they said when they invented maps." Van Pelt added, taking a sip of her soda. Suddenly, Lisbon and Cho returned to the table and took their respective seats. Lisbon squeezed in next to Jane and Cho next to her. Lisbon laid out the map on the table and quickly pointed to one of the roads.

"It turns out we were supposed to take a right, not a left." She pointed out, visibly relieved that they had supposedly found their way. Jane glanced over the map before setting his gaze on Lisbon.

"If you think that was our only wrong turn, then we'll be eating dinner here too." He replied with a clever grin. Lisbon narrowed her gaze. Somehow, Jane knew everything, and even when he didn't, he was simply so convincing that it was hard not to believe that everything he said was as good as fact. It annoyed her no end. She crumbled up the map, taking her frustration out on it, before leaning back against the booth, accepting defeat. Jane's smile faded slightly as he witnessed her surrender. Normally, she was calm and collected, but this trip was visibly taking its toll on her and the stress was hindering her judgment. "Hey," Jane commented in a softer, gentler voice as he placed his hand on her shoulder. "It's not a big deal." He assured her with a light smile. Lisbon glanced at Jane's hand before meeting his eyes. He could tell she was uncomfortable with him touching her in any way, so he decidedly pulled away his hand and evaded her curious eyes by taking a sip of his drink.

"I'll drive," Cho offered.

"Exactly. Let Cho get us lost for a little while." Jane joked, hoping to cheer up his boss. Lisbon looked around the table to find that all eyes were trained on her.

"Fine," she concluded, giving in. It was out of her hands now. Conversation reduced to silence for a few minutes, before Rigsby broke it abruptly.

"Does anyone else want dessert?" He asked, looking around the table hoping for another taker so he wouldn't be the only one. Jane was the first to agree, then followed by Van Pelt.

In the end, they all enjoyed some dessert and any excuse not to return to the cramped and uncomfortable quarters of the small vehicle.

* * *

_Four hours later…_

After another few hours of aimless wandering through the desert, now under the leadership of Cho, Lisbon finally agreed to let Jane drive. She hated his victorious grin when she handed over the keys and quickly regretted her decision as Jane drove erratically and speedily down the highway. Had there been more cars on the street, she probably would've stopped him.

Eventually she got used to the rocking of the car as Jane weaved around other vehicles. The continuous motion dimmed her senses and lulled her into a deep sleep.

Then when she awoke from her sleep, she found that the sun was starting to set, enveloping the sky in a sea of pink and purple. Her second observation was that the rental car was slowly inching forward on the side of the road. She slowly sat up and bemusedly glanced over at Jane, who, for once, seemed to share her puzzled expression.

"Jane." Lisbon warned as a loud sound erupted from the engine and the car stopped. Jane released his grip on the wheel and held his hands up as if to prove his innocence.

"I didn't do it," he quickly replied, his eyes still brimming with confusion. He frowned at the vehicle as if the car was playing a cruel joke on him.

"Are we out of gas?" She questioned, suddenly noting the absence of cars on the small road they were now on. Van Pelt, Cho, and Rigsby were all fast asleep in the backseat and showed no signs of stirring.

"I filled it up less than an hour ago." Jane admitted, as he tried again to start the engine.

"You killed the battery!" Lisbon exclaimed, quickly targeting Jane as the scapegoat for her misguided anger and frustration. Jane frowned, apparently not as cheery as he had been earlier in the day. It was as if her frustration was starting to rub off on him.

"You're not really going to pin this on me, are you?" He responded incredulously.

"Maybe if you didn't break every speed limit, we'd be there already." Lisbon countered, shaking her head as she felt her world continuing to crumble around her.

"That statement contradicts itself." Jane pointed out, unamused. Their argument finally pulled the rest of the team from their slumber.

"What's going on?" Van Pelt questioned as she sat up in her seat, her eyes still half-closed.

"Van Pelt, can you help me?" Jane asked as he opened the car door.

"Why me?" Van Pelt replied, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Of all of you, I'm sure you're the one with the most experience with cars." Jane deduced as he stepped out into the cold evening air and opened the hood of the car.

"I know a little something." Van Pelt replied, getting out of the car and following Jane to the front. Lisbon, Rigsby, and Cho also got out. Lisbon crossed her arms across her chest as she peered over Jane's shoulder.

"We should've been there hours ago," she argued, more to herself than to Jane. Most of her frustration stemmed from the fact that her boss was going to yell at her for being so late to a crime scene. As team leader, their lengthy delay would be her fault.

"I bet once we get there, they'll have already solved the case." Cho commented as he leaned against the side of the car.

"It's in the same state for Christ's sakes! It shouldn't take this long." Lisbon added, shaking slightly as the wind nipped at her bare skin.

"Calm," Jane told her as he looked up from the engine and gestured for her to relax. His eyes were composed and sincere, and somehow pacified her frayed nerves. He turned back to the car.

"Do you see the problem?" Jane asked, glancing over at Van Pelt. Jane, a person who owned a vintage, classic car, had basic knowledge of a car's engine; yet, he couldn't find anything wrong with this one.

"Whatever it is, it's probably not something we can fix here and now." Van Pelt sighed, giving up on finding the problem. Jane nodded in agreement.

"At least we're not lost anymore." Rigsby remarked absent-mindedly. Lisbon glared at him. "Not like we were before, boss." Rigsby corrected himself with a nervous grin.

"Did we pass any motels recently?" Cho asked, directing the question at Jane. Everyone's attention focused on the consultant.

"Why does everyone look at me?" Jane asked, glancing at his colleagues. He had been the only one of them awake and even had they been awake, Jane would've been the only one who would have noticed when and if they had passed through a town. Jane smiled. "There's a town about two miles back." He offered as he closed the hood of the car. Then he walked to the opposite end of the car and opened the back compartment.

"What? So we have to walk?" Van Pelt questioned, clearly displeased with the idea. Jane pulled out his small duffle bag.

"And lug the bags too." Rigsby furthered following Jane's move. Jane then began to walk down the side of the street. He got a few feet away before he turned back to the team.

"Well, let's go then." He announced, suddenly happier than before. Lisbon reluctantly grabbed her rolling bag and quickly caught up with Jane.

"Just my luck," she mumbled as she came up beside him. "You are _never_ driving again." She told him, trying to make it sound like a threat, but Jane took no offense. He just flashed her a quick smile before returning his focus to the street in front of him. Tiredness was starting to get the best of him.

Cho grabbed his stuff and followed, while Rigsby offered to help Van Pelt with her large bag. "I can take that," he told her with a grin.

"Thanks, Rigsby." Van Pelt replied shyly, accepting his offer with a soft smile. Cho grinned slightly at the exchange.

They all set to walking to the nearest town, hoping to get there before the sun fell beyond the horizon.

**Reviews are always appreciated!**


	3. Hotel Rooms

Chapter 3: Hotel Rooms

The CBI team had silently wandered the one main street that winded through the town until they stumbled on a small square building. A sign reading ROBERTA'S INN in large red letters was stationed on its flat concrete roof. The place seemed nice enough and shared a similar charm to the diner they had stopped in for lunch.

Lisbon and Jane were the first to enter the lobby. Lisbon angrily stomped toward the makeshift counter at the far end of the relatively small entry and immediately pinged the bell at the front desk. Jane followed quietly behind her and dropped his bag next to hers. Cho then entered the hotel, followed soon after by Rigsby and Van Pelt.

A woman suddenly arrived behind the counter. Her hair was pulled back into a messy bun and she was wearing a light pink robe with the name Roberta stenciled into the left pocket. She seemed a little surprised to have customers this late in the day, but was pleased nonetheless.

"Y'all look a little lost," she commented in a friendly manner with a quirky grin on her lips. Jane smiled back at her while Lisbon just sighed before jumping into an explanation.

"Our car broke down and…" she paused, too tired to elaborate on the details. "Do you have any rooms we can stay in for the night?" She asked hopefully. Roberta looked over the five guests.

"Well, this is more of a bed and breakfast and we don't get many out-of-towners." She replied. "I only have two bedrooms available." She finally explained, her eyes brimming with sympathy. Lisbon's shoulders sagged and Jane feared for a moment that she would just collapse on the floor.

"Seriously?" She replied incredulously, her fingers digging into the counter.

"Do either of the rooms have a couch?" Cho interjected hopefully. The woman shook her head.

"I'm sorry, sir." Roberta answered politely. Lisbon placed her hand on her temple as if willing away her growing migraine.

"Would you know of any other hotels in town?" She furthered, but Roberta again shook her head.

"No, sorry. We're the only one." She offered, handing her a sheet to fill out her information. Lisbon sighed and accepted the clipboard.

"We'll take the rooms." She told her as she filled out the information.

"I'm very sorry for the inconvenience, but the beds are queen size and I'll be happy to bring up some extra pillows and such." Roberta told them with a small smile. "Also, there's complimentary breakfast served fresh tomorrow morning." She added. Jane smiled at her again.

"Thank you." He told her. With that, Roberta smiled, took back the clipboard, and handed Lisbon two keys.

"I'll be downstairs if you need anything." She told them, before disappearing into the back rooms. Lisbon then turned to face her team.

"There are five of us." Cho pointed out immediately.

"I can count, Cho." Lisbon retorted. She sighed again and brushed some stray hairs from her face. "We'll do this the professional way. Van Pelt and I will share a room and you three will get the other." She directed, maintaining her role as boss. Cho's eyes revealed a hint of panic.

"I'm supposed to sleep in the same bed as these two?" He replied, despising the idea. Both Jane and Rigsby turned on him.

"Unless you want to sleep on the floor." Jane answered, his eyes observing him curiously.

"Look, hopefully it's just for one night. Then tomorrow we'll find a mechanic, get our car fixed, and _I'll_ drive us the rest of the way." Lisbon told them in an attempt to stop any possible arguments. She then tossed Jane the keys to the bedroom. She ultimately decided to leave the three men to sort out there own arrangements as she signaled for Van Pelt to follow her up the stairs. "I'll see you guys in the morning." She bid farewell over her shoulder.

"Good night." Jane responded before turning to Rigsby and Cho. He doubted he would get any sleep tonight.  


* * *

"Move over," Jane ordered wearily. Rigsby had already changed into a worn gray T-shirt and basketball shorts and had already claimed the left side of the bed. Cho was pulling on his own nightshirt and was sitting on the right side of the bed, silently leaving Jane the middle. Jane didn't like this.

"No. I got here first." Rigsby countered, placing his hands behind his head in a relaxed position. He saw this as revenge for Jane riding shotgun in the car. Jane frowned. He had circles around his eyes and seemed strangely aloof. After all, everyone had gotten a chance to nap in the car except him. Jane's gaze then drifted to Cho.

"I'm not sleeping in the middle." Cho defended, hating the idea of sharing a bed with either of them, let alone both of them.

"I'm the oldest, I get first pick." Jane remarked as he unbuttoned his vest and then his shirt. He simply stood next to Rigsby, staring him down with his impenetrable blue eyes. Rigsby, however, was unusually bold and had found a new sense of confidence, probably from Van Pelt's smile.

"I'm the youngest and I say that you should sleep in the middle." He countered. Jane knew he could break him easy… if he didn't have Cho backing him up.

"I agree. Of all of us, you'd be the one most comfortable in the middle anyways." Cho offered as he lay down on the bed. Jane finished unbuttoning his shirt and instead of continuing to undress he focused his gaze on Cho, as if challenging him.

"And why is that?" Jane asked curiously.

"You're the most secure." Cho shrugged. Jane nodded his head skeptically. "Not to mention, I don't trust Rigsby." Cho added, then receiving glares from both Jane and Rigsby.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rigsby asked indignantly.

"Well, I-" Jane was about to speak, but both Rigsby and Cho cut him off.

"You're not manipulating us out of this one! Just accept defeat." Rigsby said quickly, fearing that Jane would use his mentalist ways to guilt him out of his spot. Jane looked at them both again and decided that it wasn't worth the fight. Being a diagnosed insomniac, he had little hope of getting any sleep no matter where he slept.

He turned around in a subdued manner, grabbed his light blue pajamas, and disappeared into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. As soon as he was gone, the guilt began to set in. "Maybe we should let him sleep on the side." Rigsby admitted glancing over at Cho, who had already made himself comfortable under the covers.

"Don't give in. He wants us to feel sorry for him." Cho reminded him. Rigsby still seemed unsure.

"But we know he doesn't sleep well and he didn't get to sleep in the car," Rigsby explained, suddenly consumed by guilt. Cho closed his eyes.

"He's manipulating you. Besides, he chooses to sleep on the CBI couch on a regular basis… one night in the middle shouldn't be a problem." Cho explained logically. Just as he finished, Jane returned from the bathroom wearing some sky blue pajamas.

"Night, Cho. Night, Rigsby." He announced before jumping into the middle, his behavior akin to a child. He then turned onto his back and slipped under the covers.

"G' night, Jane. Cho." Rigsby added uncertainly. He then turned on his side so he was facing the window.

"Night." Cho replied curtly, before drifting to sleep.  


* * *

"I think Jane has a thing for you," Van Pelt finally confessed to Lisbon. She was changing in the bedroom while Lisbon was finishing brushing her teeth in the bathroom.

"What?" She replied incredulously, wiping her mouth with a towel.

"And I think you like him too," Van Pelt ventured boldly. Lisbon frowned at her. She was wearing a red tank top and some thin flannel pants with polka dots on them. Van Pelt found her pajamas amusing and very unlike her usual attire, but didn't say anything about it.

"Just because we're sharing a room doesn't make this a sleepover." Lisbon affirmed, not wanting to swap secrets and crushes like a teenage girl.

"You didn't deny it." Van Pelt pointed out. Lisbon glared at her.

"I could say the same thing about you and Rigsby." She jabbed and Van Pelt was silent. Lisbon then chose her side of the bed and buried herself under the covers. Van Pelt, in her small pink T-shirt and her matching pink pants, hovered by the bed briefly, before turning off the bedside lamp and proceeding to tuck herself in. The room was silent for a few minutes before Van Pelt tried again to open up to Lisbon.

"What should I tell Rigsby?" She asked, a hint of worry in her tone. Lisbon kept her eyes closed and ignored her attempt.

"Good night, Van Pelt." She told her firmly, allowing herself to get some rest. Van Pelt turned her eyes to the ceiling before doing the same.

**Don't worry... Jisbon is coming!**


	4. Sleepless Nights

Chapter 4: Sleepless Nights

Jane's mind was wandering indefinitely and it was enough to make him sick. When he was alone there was nothing to distract him from the memories of his family and the night he found them… and the red smiley painted on the wall in their blood. It was all too much for him to handle, so his eyes drifted around the room desperately searching for something to analyze. This technique would work for a little while, but being in a confined space gave him little to concentrate on and caused his mind to loop, repeating his observations over and over again.

For example, he kept staring at the bedside lamp and kept noticing a tear on its shade. He would then wonder how that tear came to be and what kind of object damaged it. Then he would consider whether the owner of the hotel had noticed the tear. Then there was the painting that was slightly askew, the unidentified spot on the blinds, and the long crack in the ceiling. He cursed his skills at times like these, wishing he could fall asleep and leave his memories and observations behind. He tried to close his eyes and block out the images, but nothing helped.

Then there was the fact that he was squeezed in between Rigsby and Cho, who were both snoring loudly. The room seemed to vibrate and Jane grabbed his pillow and covered his ears in an attempt to block out the overflow of information that was flooding his senses.

He couldn't remember the last time he felt this miserable.

* * *

Lisbon opened her eyes and listened as Van Pelt started to toss and turn on the bed. She began mumbling and Lisbon could already predict what would follow. Van Pelt began to kick and pull at the covers and Lisbon ruthlessly pulled back.

They had already had this battle once already and it had ended with Lisbon deposited on the floor. Van Pelt was extremely violent in her restless sleep and Lisbon had already woken her up once to tell her so. She had sincerely apologized, but an hour later, the cycle started again.

If Lisbon had had her gun, she would have shot her.

Van Pelt lashed out and Lisbon could feel her heel dig into her back. She slid off the bed and hit her head on the night table as she fell to the hard floor. Lisbon groaned and tiredly rubbed her hand on her head.

"Van Pelt!" She growled angrily, but Van Pelt was still fast asleep, completely unaffected by her fury. Lisbon decided she was safer on the floor and gave up on taking back her side of the bed. She sat up and held her head in her hands. She wanted to cry as means of releasing her anger and frustration, not to mention the throbbing pain in her head. She never could have imagined such a horrible trip and it seemed to be getting worse and worse by the minute.

She took a couple deep breaths to compose herself before getting up and moving to the bedroom door. She needed a change of scenery, an escape from this room, but as soon as she stepped into the dimly lit hall, she found she wasn't the only one who couldn't sleep.

"Jane, what are you doing in the hall?" She questioned, clearly surprised to find him sitting on the floor with his back pressed against the wall. He looked up at her with a crestfallen expression and a rare somberness in his blue eyes. He was sitting outside his hotel room with his legs bent at the knee. Lisbon then noticed the house of cards he was building and the deck that was sitting next to him.

"I could ask you the same thing." He replied, his expression unchanged by her presence. His focus returned to the cards.

"Van Pelt kicked me off the bed twice." Lisbon admitted, closing the door behind her. "I hit my head on the nightstand the second time and I think the next time might just kill me." She joked, but Jane didn't smile. His reaction, or lack of, made her worry.

"Sounds like her." He commented, meeting her eyes again. He looked very tired with dark rings around his eyes and a certain weakness and frailty about him.

"You look exhausted." Lisbon observed.

"Did you know that both Cho and Rigsby snore?" Jane informed her suddenly. Lisbon noted a faint hint of a smile on his lips and it made her feel more comfortable in his company. "They're almost in sync with each other." He added. Lisbon smiled at him. "Sit." He gestured to the floor in front of him.

"I shouldn't be in the hall at 1 in the morning." Lisbon replied; her mind warning her that sitting in the hall with Jane in the middle of the night was not a good idea.

"Then why'd you come out here?" Jane asked curiously, the hint of a smile becoming more prominent; however, it was the hopeful shine to his eyes that convinced her. She smiled softly before sagging against the wall until she was sitting across from him on the floor. She was careful not to disturb Jane's tower of cards.

Jane took another two cards and slowly balanced them on the top level of his tower. Lisbon watched silently, but her eyes seemed to focus more on Jane than the actual house of cards.

"Can I try?" Lisbon asked. Jane glanced up at her and smiled before handing her the deck in a silent reply. Lisbon took the cards and concentrated on not destroying Jane's tower. She slowly added the cards and didn't notice Jane staring at her.

"You have very steady hands." He commented once she had finished. The tower swayed slightly, but didn't fall. She smiled at him.

"I used to build houses of cards when I was really bored as a kid." She explained.

"Me too." Jane stated. He took another few cards and tried to add them, but his hand slipped and reduced the impressive tower to a pile of rubble on the floor. Jane froze.

"You killed it," Lisbon teased, smiling devilishly as she said it. He smiled back at her.

"I can't be perfect all the time." He shrugged, laughing slightly. His mood had improved dramatically since Lisbon joined him. He didn't feel so lonely anymore. He watched Lisbon's smile fade and her eyes shift downward. "You're worried," Jane observed. Lisbon glanced up at him.

"I'm going to be in so much trouble for being so late to this damn crime scene." She confessed with a sigh. Jane gave her a comforting smile.

"Just a few days." He shrugged. "It's not your fault. It's just bad luck." He added, seriously tempted to reach out and touch her arm. Actually, if he was honest with himself he wanted to give her a comforting hug, but he knew better. Instead, all he could do was give her a smile.

"I doubt my boss will see it that way." Lisbon replied, imagining his reaction. Their conversation reduced to a gentle silence. Lisbon's green eyes glanced around the room before she turned to Jane and caught him staring at her.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" She asked, shifting nervously under his gaze. Jane tilted his head slightly, his eyes never leaving hers.

"I have an idea of something we could do." He commented mischievously. Lisbon frowned, her eyes widening slightly.

"Jane," she warned. Jane rolled his eyes, smiling cleverly.

"Not that," he replied, knowing what she was thinking. "But I find it interesting that you would jump to such a conclusion." He furthered. It was Lisbon's turn to roll her eyes.

"I wasn't thinking-" She denied, but Jane interrupted her.

"We should pull a prank on our sleeping colleagues, revenge per say." He explained with a devilish grin. Lisbon eyed him skeptically.

"Do you sit up at night just planning new ways to mess with us?" She teased. Jane's smile faded slightly.

"Trust me, that's not what keeps me up at night." He responded in a more serious tone with a hint of irony.

"Sorry," Lisbon apologized. Jane turned his eyes to the fallen house of cards and began to pick them up.

"It's okay," Jane replied. Lisbon reached out and helped him gather the cards. Her hand brushed against his briefly and it made her involuntarily blush. Jane looked up at her again. "You can be my accomplice." He remarked, his smile returning.

"Accomplice?" Lisbon asked.

"Yeah." Jane nodded, his eyes watching her expectantly.

"So if I was to go along with this little prank, what would we be doing?" Lisbon ventured cautiously; wary of Jane's motives. Jane's smile brightened.

"Well, I was thinking shaving cream for Rigsby and maybe we can draw on Van Pelt's face with some eyeliner." He shrugged, a flash of excitement in his eyes.

"What are you? 10 years old?" She asked, repeating a similar comment Jane had directed at Rigsby earlier that day. Jane recognized the comment and laughed slightly, truly enjoying her company.

"Oh come on, it'll be fun and they deserve it for keeping us up all night." He persuaded evenly. After mulling it over, Lisbon simply couldn't resist.

"I have an idea for Cho," she replied with a roguish grin.

"See. I knew there was some mischief in you." Jane announced emphatically, pointing his finger at her before getting to his feet. Lisbon rolled her eyes again.

**Thanks for the reviews! They inspired me to update sooner. :)  
**


	5. Pranks

**I felt I owed y'all an update, so here it is! Thank you so much for the reviews! I'm sort of obsessed with reading them…**

**Sorry it's short. **

Chapter 5: Pranks

Jane stared down at Van Pelt with a liquid eyeliner pen in his hand. He figured Van Pelt was a deep sleeper, but he was still faintly worried that she would wake up and freak out when she saw him. Lisbon appeared beside him.

"I'm not much of an artist," Jane confessed, trying to decide what to draw on her face.

"Try your best." Lisbon shrugged, suddenly excited about their childish pranks. "Paint a masterpiece." She added with a teasing grin. Jane glanced at her and smiled slyly, clearly amused by her newfound interest.

Lisbon then returned to her bathroom and searched through her bag for something. Soon after, she quickly left the room without sharing her intentions with Jane. He looked after her curiously, wondering what she had planned for Cho.

* * *

Jane entered his hotel room and immediately heard Cho and Rigsby's incessant snoring. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, but once they did, he could see that Rigsby was now only halfway under the covers and he was hugging his pillow tightly. Cho, on the other hand, was on his back with his hand hanging off the side of the bed. Lisbon was kneeling on the floor next to him. She was delicately painting his nails with a light pink nail polish and gently held his hand still.

She hadn't noticed Jane's presence so he decided to sneak up behind her. He silently moved towards her and then leaned in over her shoulder. She was so deeply concentrated in her work that she was still oblivious to his arrival.

"Diabolical," Jane murmured into her ear, causing Lisbon to jump and smear the pink paint on his fingers. She turned to him quickly, patently surprised. She was glad it was dark in the room or else Jane would have seen the redness in her cheeks when he was close to her. She didn't want him to know the effect he had on her.

"You scared me," she whispered breathlessly. Jane smiled, his blue eyes glistening in the dim moonlight. He nodded for her to continue. Lisbon smiled lightly before resuming her task. Jane leaned in beside her and Lisbon found it hard to focus with his face mere inches from hers.

"I see you've found a use for your steady hands." He commented as she finished.

"It helps that Cho will sleep through anything." Lisbon replied, standing up victoriously. Jane started to laugh and had to cover his mouth with his hand to keep himself quiet. Then he remembered that they still had to prank Rigsby… they wouldn't want to leave him out. Jane turned around and entered the bathroom. He then searched through his small bag until he found his can of shaving cream. He returned to the bed and silently hovered over Rigsby. Jane knew that he was the lightest sleeper of all of them (not counting himself), so he was very careful as he spiraled the foam on his hands. Rigsby faintly groaned and rolled onto his side so he was in the middle. While moving, he inadvertently streaked the white cream across his face and on his shirt. Jane had to try very hard to quiet his laughter. It seems that Rigsby was perfectly willing to do the rest of the job for him. He smiled triumphantly and ventured over towards Lisbon, who too was trying to conceal her amusement. Jane signaled for them to leave Cho and Rigsby to their snoring slumber and quickly returned to the hallway.

As soon as the door was closed, the two burst out into uncontrollable laughter. The combination of exhaustion, heightened emotions, and the sheer absurdity of their pranks was simply too overwhelming. They both imagined what their friend's reactions would be in the morning: Rigsby covered in shaving cream, Van Pelt marked with polka dots and war stripes, and Cho having a new manicure. Jane leaned over laughing while Lisbon slid down the wall until she was sitting on the floor. Finally the laughter died down, allowing them to talk again.

"You know Cho's is permanent, right?" Jane reminded her with an incessant grin on his lips and a little laugh in his voice. Lisbon glanced up at him.

"Just until he finds a pharmacy and can buy some nail polish remover." She shrugged, sharing his grin. They both knew that there was little chance of Cho finding any nail polish remover in the small, remote town.

"I feel you've done this before." Jane remarked eyeing Lisbon mischievously. She shrugged innocently. Her logical, professional self was being suppressed for the night and had been replaced by a more carefree individual that only Jane could bring to the surface. The truth was she needed a break from her stressful position as boss and Jane turned out to be the best outlet she could ever hope for.

Conversation dissipated, resulting in an uneasy silence. Jane slid down the wall next to her so they were sitting only inches apart. Jane rested his head against the wall, the smile never leaving his features, while Lisbon pretended to examine her hands for imperfections, still grinning at their pranks.

Both were trying to ignore the sudden tension between them that seemed to ask, "what now?"

**Once again, thank you for the reviews!**


	6. Rooftops

Chapter 6: Rooftops

Lisbon opened her eyes and glanced over at Jane. His eyes were closed and he hadn't moved in the past ten minutes. He was still sitting with his head against the wall and he still had a faint hint of a smile on his lips.

"Are you asleep?" Lisbon inquired hesitantly.

"Nope," Jane replied nonchalantly, not moving or opening his eyes. Lisbon waited another minute before continuing.

"I'm not tired anymore." She informed him. She was wide-awake and had given up hope of getting any sleep.

"Me neither." Jane answered, his state still unchanged.

"You have your eyes closed." Lisbon observed dubiously.

"It helps me relax." Jane shrugged. Lisbon watched him curiously, but he still refused to open his eyes. She turned back to face the opposite wall, mulling over the day's events.

"What are you thinking about?" Jane asked, not needing to see her face to observe her pensive expression.

"I thought you could tell," she remarked cleverly. Jane smiled. Lisbon then shifted her eyes to the ceiling. "This town doesn't even have streetlights." She commented, recalling the desolate town. "I'm sure the stars are beautiful," she said, faintly smiling. When she turned back to Jane, she found that he was looking directly at her with a knowing grin.

"You want to see them?" He asked enthusiastically. Lisbon was a little surprised by the question and Jane's sudden surge of energy.

"I'm not walking a strange, dark town with you, especially at 3 in the morning." She replied, relying again on her logical self.

"You don't have to." He persuaded, turning so he could face her. Lisbon's eyes darted around the room nervously with Jane focusing all his attention on her. It made her feel transparent and there were definitely things she needed to hide from the consultant. "You said yourself you're not tired, so let's see the stars." He added, tilting his head curiously. He gave her a charming smile and, being in such close proximity, it was impossible for Lisbon to refuse. "Trust me." Jane told her, getting to his feet. He reached out his hand to help her up off the floor. After a brief hesitation she accepted his hand and let him pull her to her feet.

Jane then, without warning, pulled her down the hall towards the stairwell. Lisbon wanted to protest, but somehow lost her voice, her curiosity getting the best of her. After all, what else was there to do? Jane led her carefully up the steps, which were cold to her bare feet. It wasn't until now that she was reminded that she was wearing only her pajamas with no shoes, as was Jane. Jane then headed up to the top floor, that being the roof, and opened the bare white door. Still holding her hand, he led her outside into the cold night air. Lisbon involuntarily shivered as the cold wind hit her, but her mind was elsewhere, captivated by the sea of stars shining down on them.

"The sky doesn't look like this back home." Lisbon commented, comparing the beautiful desert sky to the urban landscape in Sacramento. The stars actually twinkled here and the mountains seemed to stretch out on all sides, surrounding them. Lisbon quickly noted some of the common constellations like the big and little dipper, the North Star, and even the vague outline of Scorpio.

"It's beautiful." Jane remarked, releasing Lisbon's hand so he could explore the rooftop. Lisbon felt his warmth leave her hand and suddenly the low temperature hit her full force, causing her to shiver uncontrollably. Wearing a tank top hadn't been one of her best ideas, yet she was still mesmerized by the glowing night sky and the waning crescent of the moon that seemed to light up the sand and concrete. It was breathtaking.

Lisbon finally turned her gaze away from the sky to address the cold breeze. She rubbed her hands on her shoulders to create friction, but it was little help. "Jane, it's freezing out here." She commented. She looked up and saw that Jane had situated himself on top of a large metal box, centered on the rooftop. It was probably meant to conceal an air conditioner, but Jane was using it as a comfortable bench.

He met her eyes and flashed her a brilliant smile.

"How'd you even get up there?" Lisbon asked, approaching the metal container. She moved so she was standing right below him and quickly noticed that she was far too short to jump up onto the box. Nonetheless, she reached up and grabbed the edge of the container with the tips of her fingers. Jane smiled and extended his hand towards her.

"Here," he offered. Lisbon hesitated for a moment before accepting his help. Jane pulled her up onto the container so she was sitting right next to him.

"Thanks," Lisbon replied shyly. Lisbon had always been characterized as independent and had always insisted on doing things without the help of anyone else. Along with being wary of help, Lisbon had her hesitations when trusting people. Put simply, she doesn't trust anyone.

Then that begs the question, why exactly does she suddenly trust Jane?

Jane was pondering that question too.

Lisbon glanced at Jane, who was scanning the town as if delving into every hidden aspect of its existence. It was one of those moments where Lisbon began to wonder what it was like to be Patrick Jane, to see past everyone's lies and to notice what everyone else takes for granted. Her thoughts always end with her admitting she wouldn't want to be Patrick Jane.

She was still shivering in her tank top, cursing herself for not realizing how cold it gets at night in the desert. Jane's sympathetic blue eyes turned to meet hers.

"Had I known I was going to be on a rooftop in the middle of the night, I would have worn something more suited for the cold." Lisbon explained with a simple shrug. Jane smiled at her and casually reached his arm around her shoulder into a tight embrace. Lisbon was completely surprised, but was too cold to push him away. His hands rested on her arm and he pulled her towards him so her face was pressed against his chest. His soft flannel pajama shirt was warm and she could feel his head leaning against hers, her dark hair brushing on his cheek.

Lisbon blushed and she could somehow sense that Jane was smiling. She began to question whether Jane had planned all this just so he could hug her…

"Jane…" She began to ask, still huddling against him so she could draw from his warmth.

"It can be completely platonic if you want it to be." Jane answered before she could even ask. Lisbon immediately pulled away from him so she could see his expression. Her eyes shared a hint of alarm paired with sheer curiosity. Meanwhile, Jane had a charming smile on his lips that implied that he knew exactly what he said and meant it. Lisbon just stared at him bemusedly, his arms still wrapped around her with their faces mere inches apart.

"If I want it to be?" She finally asked with a glimmer of wonder flashing in her eyes. Apparently, the sleep deprivation and excess stress had dramatically lowered her processing and reaction time. Jane's smile, if possible, brightened. He thought she looked similar to a deer caught in the headlights, which is exactly what he was aiming for.

"The kiss can be platonic too if you want it to be." He furthered cleverly, his smile never fading. Lisbon frowned, completely confused.

"The kis-?" Lisbon tried to ask, her voice breaking nervously, but before she could finish, Jane closed the space between them and captured her lips in a kiss.

**Who doesn't love cliffhangers? I wonder how Lisbon will react. Reviews are appreciated.**


	7. The Kiss

Chapter 7: The Kiss

His lips pressed gently against hers, but the kiss lacked even the faintest hesitation or uncertainty. It was as if he was sure Lisbon would kiss him back. His fingers traced a line along her cheek and down her jaw before navigating towards the back of her neck. He started to play with her dark curls as he tried to deepen the kiss. Lisbon closed her eyes, her mind being bombarded by different, contradicting emotions.

Lisbon was shocked, not only by Jane's sudden possession of her lips, but more so by the fact that she let him. She couldn't summon the will to shove him away, but she couldn't kiss him back neither. She didn't want him to know she was attracted to him and how many times she had considered what it would be like to kiss Patrick Jane. If she kissed him back she knew there would be no denying it afterwards, which led her to wonder why the hell Jane was kissing her in the first place.

Her only plausible answer was that he was messing with her.

Jane paused, pulling away slightly as he titled his head sideways. He gave Lisbon a curious look. She opened her eyes to find his bright blue eyes focused on hers with a cute little smile dancing on his lips. He was still so close to her that when he spoke she couldn't help but shiver. Maybe that had something to do with the forgotten cold surrounding her, but Jane's embrace was suddenly enough to keep her warm, his body pressed up against hers.

"Conflicted?" He whispered with a knowing smile, his warm breath caressing her lips. Lisbon cursed herself for being so easy to read and for being so easily manipulated by his brilliant smile. She felt exposed with all her deepest secrets laid out for Jane to see. Lisbon was speechless, but her thoughts were made transparent by her beautiful green eyes.

Jane's gaze drifted seductively to her lips before flashing quickly back to her eyes. He'd taken the first step and now he was waiting for Lisbon to make the next move. He wasn't going to close the space between them… he had to know what she felt towards him because, although he had all the pieces, nothing was certain with Lisbon.

He had to be certain.

Just as the cold air was starting to cool his warm passion and doubt started ebbing away at his resolve, Lisbon gave in to temptation and, although it was hesitant, she gently kissed him back.

She knew she shouldn't, but she did. It was as simple as that. She had done a lot of things tonight she wouldn't normally, but she was having a night to remember and somehow, as she got swept up in the moment, she forgot why Jane was off-limits to her… why she always kept him at arm's length. She guessed she'd find out tomorrow and in a swift, decisive moment she told herself, _screw the consequences_.

Jane smiled against her lips, lowering his hands so that they were trailing along her hips. Lisbon's earlier hesitance began to fade as she bit at his lower lip, persuading him to open slightly and let her in. He moaned slightly as her tongue explored his mouth. Her heart fluttered, giving her the false illusion she was floating. She matched his smile, wrapping her arms around his neck so she could wind her fingers through his feathery blond curls. She was undeniably happy in his arms and she never wanted that feeling to go away. By now she knew Jane couldn't simply be messing with her. He was enjoying this just as much as she was, maybe even more.

She had escaped the voices warning her that he was taking advantage of her, that he was using her frustration and exhaustion as a means to an end, but suddenly a new thought occurred to her, one that made her mind pause. She stopped running her fingers through his hair and tried to mumble 'Jane' against his lips. She didn't want to reject him, but she couldn't continue… not like this. His hands trailed up her arms and though his touch made her weak, she couldn't escape the cold texture of his wedding ring as it brushed against her skin.

It hadn't occurred to her until right then that maybe Lisbon was taking advantage of Jane.

"Patrick," Lisbon said as she finally broke away, gasping for breath. She noted his dazed expression mixed with pure confusion as he too tried to steady his breathing. "We shouldn't do this," she whispered softly. Jane, caught completely off guard, didn't mask the hurt as it filtered into his solemn blue eyes.

Memories from the past day flashed in her mind, almost like a chain of evidence supporting her theory. She remembered the way he pretended to be her husband so he could sit next to her on the plane, how he let her sleep on his shoulder, and how he had confided in her about his daughter's first plane ride. She recalled how he touched her arm in the diner in an attempt to make her feel better and then the memory that stood out the most was when she stepped into the hall to find him sitting against the wall. She couldn't get his crestfallen expression out of her head, a rare glimpse at his grief and… loneliness. Jane had been trying to change their relationship ever since this trip began.

All the reasons why he was off-limits to her resumed there firm positions in her mind. Jane had been married. He had had a family. Red John had taken that all away and… Jane was lonely. Ever since he had kissed her, she had feared she'd regret it come tomorrow. She had never stopped to think that Jane would regret it so much more. Her eyes drifted to the wedding band on his finger.

She couldn't do this.  
**  
I guess this is another cliffhanger. Oops. Thanks for all the reviews! They convinced me to really get to work on this chapter so I could give y'all an update.**

Somehow this story keeps getting longer and longer. The original idea was intended to end in six chapters, but then I realized that each chapter would have to be crazy long. I sort of changed where I'm going with this and I think y'all will really like it.

Please press the little green button and leave a review. :)


	8. Morning Revelations

**Wow! Thank you for the reviews. I felt bad because the last chapter was short and I ended it with a cruel cliffhanger... so I decided to post another chapter today. :)**

**Sadly spring break is over... *tear***

Chapter 8: Morning Revelations

Jane wasn't entirely sure what to make of Teresa Lisbon. He knew she liked him and yet she resisted him. He thought he had convinced her, but then she broke away, catching him completely off guard. He couldn't help but feel rejected. If he was honest with himself, he had liked Lisbon for a long time, but he had never put any real thought into it before, brushing it off as something he could never have. But in the past week, he had been thinking about her… a lot. He wasn't entirely sure why he had felt the need to bring her to the roof and kiss her or why, since this trip began, he had the urge to touch her every chance he got. Being "just friends" wasn't enough anymore.

Jane noticed how Lisbon's gaze drifted down to his wedding ring and he caught the faintest trace of guilt in her bright green eyes. He didn't want her to feel guilty. She had done nothing wrong. He had just wanted to make her happy.

It made sense though. Lisbon was the first woman he'd kissed since his wife. That thought made him pause.

Maybe he wasn't ready for a relationship. Maybe he never would be.

"Okay," Jane told her calmly. He knew they needed to talk, but now didn't seem like the best time. Enough had happened tonight and he could tell from the slump in her shoulders that her energy was starting to fade. He also noted how pale she looked suddenly as the cold wind nipped at her face. He flashed her a brief smile to let her know that he didn't blame her for anything before jumping off the container. Lisbon stared down at him, a little confused by his sudden change in demeanor. "We should probably head in before you catch hypothermia," he commented with a charming smile, offering his hands to help her down.

"Uh… sure." She fumbled with the faintest smile on her lips. She accepted, scooting towards the edge of the metallic box. He gently pulled her down with his hands on her waist, careful so she didn't fall. "Thanks," she told him softly, a little unsure of how to act around him. Jane stepped back to give her some space and cocked his head to the side, eyeing her curiously. She wanted to be sarcastic and make light of what had just happened, but couldn't find the words.

"You look tired." Jane observed before lightly touching her arm so as to lead her towards the door. She seemed a little dazed and Jane liked to know he had that affect on her.

"Suddenly I am." She responded. Her discomfort dissolved as she realized Jane was going to drop what had happened… at least until a reasonable hour. Jane glanced at her hand, wondering whether she would mind if he held it. He couldn't bear the thought of not being close to her. He casually slipped his hand down her arm and intertwined his fingers with hers. Her hand was deathly cold. She blushed, but didn't pull her hand away.

"Come on," Jane remarked softly as he led her down the stairs. They passed their floor and headed all the way down to the lobby. Lisbon seemed a little confused, but didn't say anything, trusting that Jane knew where he was going. They silently passed the front counter and towards the adjacent wall where there was a small couch that Jane had remembered passing when they had checked in. There were no sofas in the hotel rooms, but they still had the lobby.

Jane stopped, released her hand, and motioned towards the sofa. He bowed slightly with a comical smile as if to say "ta da." Lisbon smiled back at him, pretending to marvel at his genius, before wearily moving towards the couch. She sat down in the middle and looked up at him with a question in her eyes.

"Where are you going to sleep?" She asked, concerned. Jane shrugged. He hadn't really thought about it. He thought after Lisbon was fast asleep on the couch he might settle himself on the floor or he'd wander the empty hotel until morning. All he knew was that there was no way he was going back to his hotel room to endure his roommates. Lisbon's gaze shifted nervously to the floor before meeting Jane's eyes. "There's room for both of us," she shrugged, patting the seat next to her. The idea of sleeping on an actual couch made him smile.

"Thanks." He replied sincerely, sitting down next to her. He wasn't sure how they were planning to share the small sofa, but Lisbon seemed to have an idea.

"Lay down." She ordered, pulling up her legs so he could stretch out. Jane did as she asked, his head resting on the arm of the couch. Then he watched her curiously. She lay down next to him, her head resting on his shoulder with her hands huddled up against his side. She was still shaking slightly, but at least the inside of the building was much warmer. Jane adjusted, trying not to disturb her position, and draped his hand carefully around her. His first thought was that her hair smelled sweet and his second was that he could really get used to this.

"We should probably talk about that kiss," Lisbon announced suddenly, taking on a more authoritative air as if to induce some normalcy to the situation. She wanted Jane to get some sleep. She knew it was a strangely intimate dynamic, but she would feel bad if she left him without anywhere to lie down. Not to mention, a certain part of her wanted him close to her tonight.

She knew she'd fallen for him… hard. Now the only question left unanswered was what did Jane really feel towards her? Either he really cared about her and was serious about starting a relationship… or he needed her to fill a void.

"Tomorrow." Jane answered simply. "Good night, Teresa." He added, shutting his eyes. Lisbon wasn't used to him saying her first name and yet, she liked it when he did.

Something had definitely changed between them, but she wondered if it would remain changed come tomorrow.

"Night, Patrick."  


* * *

"Jane. Lisbon." A firm, female voice was hovering above them, clearly angry and annoyed with a hint of surprise thrown into the mix.

"Stop cuddling and wake up!" Rigsby yelled, kicking the side of the couch and almost causing Jane to fall off. He awoke just in time to balance himself and grab a hold of the couch. Lisbon also jumped, sitting up; her first emotion was anger, directed at the jerks that woke her up. She was going to make them pay… but that thought quickly faded into sheer, uncontrollable laughter as she looked up at her colleagues. Jane immediately joined in with the laughter, still lying down on his back with Lisbon sitting up beside him.

Jane had drawn spots all over her face and two stripes under her eyes, resembling war paint. Then Jane had finished with two jagged lines on her forehead meant to represent devil horns. Okay, maybe that had been a little mean, but he couldn't help himself. The eyeliner had smeared in places, but the marks were still visible. She glared at them disapprovingly.

Then there was Rigsby, who had brushed off the shaving cream from his face, but most of it had accumulated on his shirt, soaking it in the white foam. There were traces of the cream in and around his ears and in his hair.

"You two think this is funny?" Van Pelt scowled angrily. She was too upset about the pranks they pulled to comment on how they had been hugging each other when her and Rigsby found them.

"A masterpiece." Lisbon remarked, before bursting into more laughter, so much so that her diaphragm began to ache. In Van Pelt's opinion they were enjoying this way too much.

"I can't believe you two." She scolded in disbelief. Rigsby tried to hold back a smile as he tried to match Van Pelt's strict posture. "I mean I expect this from Jane, but boss?" She added incredulously. Lisbon held her hand over her mouth in an attempt to stop laughing.

"You kicked me off the bed twice. Plus, you hog the covers." She explained quickly, having trouble not laughing. Jane glanced at her before placing his arm behind his head.

"So that justifies this?" She countered, pointing at her face. Jane nodded before laughing again. Lisbon had never heard him laugh so whole-heartedly and it made her smile.

"What'd I do then?" Rigsby asked curiously.

"You and Cho snore!" Jane exclaimed. "I can't believe you didn't notice. You two sound like sailors with emphysema!" He furthered.

"Speaking of Cho, where is he?" Lisbon asked, glancing around the room.

"Washing his hands." Rigsby answered with a comical smile. Van Pelt glowered at them.

"Oh come on, you two need a sense of humor." Jane remarked lightly, flashing Van Pelt a charming grin.

"I don't think this is funny." She replied firmly, narrowing her gaze.

"It sort of is." Rigsby shrugged, joining the laughing fit. Just as he finished speaking, Cho stomped down the stairs and headed towards the group.

"Give it to me." He growled angrily, holding out his hand. Lisbon, Jane, and Rigsby burst into another laughing fit and even Van Pelt couldn't help but crack a smile. Cho's nails sparkled a bright pink in the morning light. The color had dried a lot darker than Lisbon expected, which simply added to her enjoyment.

"What?" She answered innocently.

"Whatever you need to get this stuff off!" Cho demanded, clearly impatient and horrified by the sudden coloring of his nails. Lisbon simply held up her hands as if to say she had nothing to get it off. Cho's eyes darkened as he pulled his hands behind his back to hide them.

"Feeling a bit feminine, are we?" Jane remarked, adding insult to injury. Cho sent him a death glare, clearly not amused.


	9. The Talk

**Sorry for the major delay. This story has not been forgotten! It's just been hard to find the time to write**.

Chapter 9: The Talk

The sun was bright and the sand that littered the ground reflected the heat around the open garage. Lisbon and Rigsby had gotten the car towed to the only mechanic in town and now the whole team was waiting for the mechanic, Nick, to diagnosis the problem.

Lisbon impatiently hovered over Nick's shoulder as he examined the engine. She was wearing a purple buttoned down shirt with thin dark stripes and with the sleeves rolled up past her elbows. She cursed the fact that she had only brought dark clothes on the trip. Apparently, she was no good at planning ahead for desert conditions.

Van Pelt stood next to Lisbon and was wearing a dark knee-length skirt, suitable for the work place, and a simple white blouse. She had finally washed the eyeliner off her face and her mood had changed drastically since that morning, except for the occasional glare in Jane's direction.

Rigsby was leaning against the open frame of the garage door in more casual attire consisting of a blue collared shirt and his usual brown pants. He seemed relaxed and unconcerned with the scene going on around him, obviously under the impression that they would be stuck in the town another night.

Cho was wearing his usual work clothes: a simple white shirt with short sleeves and a pair of dark pants. He still maintained his displeased expression as he buried his hands deep in his pockets to hide his newly painted nails. He had finally given up trying to get the nail polish off and had resorted to glaring incessantly at the two pranksters.

Speaking of pranksters, Jane was wandering around the garage pretending to be oblivious to the world around him. He was wearing a white shirt and light colored vest and pants. He too had his sleeves rolled up and he had dark circles around his bright blue eyes. Despite his appearance, he was wide-awake and attentive with a permanent smile plastered on his face. Lisbon had spent the majority of the morning avoiding the blond-haired man and Jane interpreted that fact as further evidence that she really liked him, hence his incessant grin.

The mechanic, Nick, started to explain what was wrong with the vehicle, but Lisbon found it hard to concentrate as her lack of sleep caught up with her and severed her attention. Suddenly the man glanced over at Cho and paused in his speech.

"What's wrong with him?" He questioned curiously. Cho's severe eyes were focused intently on Lisbon, but somehow his anger had little effect on Jane and Lisbon and usually reduced them to a fit of laughter. By now Lisbon was used to it.

"He's just a sore loser. Ignore him." She replied simply with a smile tugging at her lips. Nick seemed uncertain, but continued nonetheless, still sparing curious glances in Cho's direction.

"As I was saying, I'm surprised the whole thing didn't catch fire." He explained with a shrug.

"That's comforting." Jane remarked sarcastically without looking up. He picked up a hammer from off the counter and began balancing it on his fingers before tossing it between his hands. Lisbon gave him a sideways glance before quickly turning back to the mechanic. Ever since the kiss, Lisbon couldn't stop thinking about him and found that every time she looked at him her eyes were immediately drawn to his beautiful blue eyes… and then his lips.

"You should call Minnelli and have CBI rethink this rental car idea." Rigsby commented, pulling Lisbon from her thoughts. She frowned.

"I'll do better than that. Once we get back to that dealership, I swear I'll have those jerks arrested." She sneered angrily, brushing some stray hairs behind her ear.

"How long will it take to get it fixed?" Cho asked coolly.

"Fixed?" Nick asked in disbelief. "I can't fix this. I'm a mechanic, not a miracle worker." He explained incredulously. Lisbon's face fell and she wanted nothing more than to collapse on her sofa back home and watch old movies and eat ice cream with not a worry in the world. It upset her even more to realize she wouldn't be able to go home any time soon.

She had already called Minnelli that morning, or in truth, he had called her. After the initial anger and subsequent lecture, he resigned to sending another CBI team to the crime scene who had just got off a case nearby. He had also agreed to send them a car in the next week if they couldn't get their rental fixed.

"By any chance, do any buses come through here?" Van Pelt inquired politely. Nick smiled at the junior agent.

"Ma'am, I'm not sure much of anything comes through this town nowadays." He responded candidly, trying his best to charm the redheaded woman. Rigsby frowned.

"Do you know any good restaurants in town?" Jane asked suddenly, turning towards the mechanic and obviously unconcerned with the fact that they were in town another night. Nick seemed a little surprised by the question and stumbled a bit before answering. On the other side of the room Jane's question had piqued Rigsby's interest, clearly excited at the prospect of food.

"There's a limited selection. You should try Molly's on the corner." Nick suggested while cleaning off his hands with a dirty washcloth.

"Is every place here named after the owner?" Cho remarked.

"Molly's the name of their dog." He informed him with a shrug. Cho wasn't amused.

Lisbon slowly moved towards the passenger-side door of the car and leaned her forehead against the cold glass of the window. She paused for a moment and took a few breaths.

"So what? We're stranded here?" Lisbon snapped suddenly to no one in particular, but caught everyone's attention nonetheless. She had pushed away from the car and had thrown her hands up into the air, signaling defeat.

"Oh cool it, _Teresa_. It's not the end of the world." Jane remarked lightly, setting the hammer back on the table. When he looked up everyone was staring at him and Lisbon's cheeks had flushed a bright red.

"What?" He asked innocently, knowing very well what he had said that surprised his colleagues. The room was silent and Nick, sensing the tension, made his way to the back room.

"I'll just go and total up the bill," Nick excused himself, thus breaking the awkward silence.

"Maybe we should go and save a table." Van Pelt added, signaling for Cho and Rigsby to leave Jane and Lisbon to resolve whatever problems they seemed to be having.

"Oh no way I'm missing this." Rigsby commented in response.

"Same." Cho added. Lisbon snapped out of her racing thoughts to send an annoyed glare in their direction. Then she turned back to Jane who smiled innocently, clearly amused by the result of him using her first name.

"You and I need to talk." She stated firmly. Jane, as usual, wasn't intimidated and his smile widened.

"You're blushing, Teresa." Jane teased and her cheeks, if possible, glowed an even brighter red. Her eyebrows furrowed into a disapproving frown, a defense mechanism no doubt, and she suddenly stomped towards the unnerving blond-haired man. Jane still wasn't intimidated and simply smiled as a means of annoying her. He thought she was very cute when she was mad at him.

"Now." She growled, firmly grabbing his arm and squeezing it as she forcibly pulled him into a small back room, separate from the garage and allowing them some privacy. Jane didn't struggle, but did whine a little, her grip actually hurting him.

"Ow," he mumbled once she released his arm. She shut the door and turned back to face him. "I say your name and now I'm in trouble?" Jane remarked, his childish grin returning.

"It's Lisbon or boss. Is that understood?" Lisbon told him firmly, forcing herself not to give in to his beautiful blue eyes. She needed to stop Jane before he could permanently change their relationship and exploit her weakness towards him. The consultant was quick with a reply, having already predicted her next move.

"You didn't mind me calling you Teresa last night. Actually, I'm pretty sure you called me Patrick." He replied cleverly. Lisbon failed to even remotely dim his incessant smile.

"_Jane_, there's a line between us that shouldn't be crossed." She stressed. Lisbon felt drawn to his charm and it was getting harder and harder to distance herself from him.

"I think that line's been blurred." Jane commented with a shrug. He could throw back any argument she had against him with ease and she was running out of ammunition. Her green eyes flashed a brief flicker of desperation.

"Just forget whatever happened last night, okay? I was tired and stressed and I wasn't thinking clearly." She admitted in her final attempt to salvage their professional relationship. Lisbon needed to prove to Jane that he hadn't gotten to her and that they were better off just being close friends. A certain part of her disagreed and doubted her own argument.

Lisbon achieved her objective though and Jane's smile faltered, giving her the illusion of a bittersweet victory. "Oh…" Jane stated with a newfound seriousness. "So I guess you kissing me was poor judgment on your part." He remarked solemnly and Lisbon immediately felt the first pangs of regret settling into her chest. "I understand." He added with a nod of his head. Lisbon easily read the sarcasm mixed into his voice and the faintest air of frustration in his tone. Now she was really confused as to what Jane wanted. Lisbon sighed guiltily.

"Jane…" She started.

"I really like it when you call me Patrick." He corrected her, his light smile returning briefly before falling again. Lisbon couldn't frown at him; she couldn't defer using anger or her authority or even humor. Honestly, she found she couldn't treat Jane like she normally would and this loss of control made her stumble in her thoughts.

Jane was undoubtedly getting to her and she had lost all means of hiding it. Lisbon crossed her arms and straightened her stance so not to appear vulnerable.

"I didn't mean it like that." She tried to defend, but Jane could read her now, having disabled her defenses. She witnessed an ethereal sparkle in his eyes.

"I'm not buying it." He stated, his lips curving ever so slightly. Lisbon maintained her stance. "Crossed arms signal insecurity." He pointed out. She floundered, unsure of whether to drop her hands to her sides or defy his observation by remaining stiff.

Her hands fell to her side.

"Jane, just stop screwing with me." She stated, somehow mixing a plea into her demand. Jane's eyes lightened and his smile became more evident.

"Screwing with you?" He repeated curiously, everything becoming clearer. Lisbon shifted her weight nervously under his gaze. His eyes sparkled happily at having figured her out and Lisbon was scared of what he saw.

"Yes and don't look at me like that." She snapped, unsuccessfully trying to rebuild her defenses.

"Like what?" Jane replied innocently, his smile broadening.

"Like you're winning." Lisbon admitted. Her voice drifted and an uneasy silence ensued. Jane just watched her expectantly, waiting eagerly for the dam to break. "Dammit, Jane." She snapped. "If we," she faltered in her words. "If we went all the way, would you regret it?" Jane raised his eyebrows and it was his turn to blush, a faint hint of pink gracing his cheeks.

"It was just a kiss, Teresa." He replied shyly. "And I'm not sure that question's appropriate for work." He teased, but Lisbon wanted a straight answer.

"Jane, can you just answer the question for once?" She snapped.

"Yes." He stated simply and witnessed a brief flicker of disappointment in Lisbon's green eyes. "Oh, the first question." He corrected with a clever grin, easily manipulating her emotions. He dropped the act and his eyes revealed a newfound seriousness. "I'm not a careless person and I wouldn't drag you into something without knowing I was ready for it." He explained sincerely. "In other words, I don't regret kissing you." He clarified.

Lisbon searched his eyes for any hint of trickery, but saw nothing but honesty. She turned away from him and ventured towards a table on the right side of the room. There were several drawers open and they revealed a random assortment of nails and small car accessories. Her hands needed to keep busy, so rather than fidget, she brushed her fingers over the different items contained in the various boxes.

"That didn't really answer the question." She responded, noticing that he had evaded her direct question with a vague answer. Jane frowned slightly.

"You're so complicated, woman." He remarked in exasperation.

"What am I supposed to think?" Lisbon replied quickly, her eyes trained on the table, unable to look him in the eye. "You can't expect me to believe that you genuinely love me or something." She added blithely.

Lisbon froze as his answer came to her in silence. She dropped the nail she was holding and slowly turned back to face him. She met a pair of questioning blue eyes.

"Why can't you?" Jane asked softly, cocking his head to the side and eyeing her curiously. Lisbon stared at the blond-haired man, utterly speechless.

"I was under the impression that you thought I was screwing with you, but that's not the problem at all." Jane continued knowingly. "You like me," he stated, "and you think…" He paused as if realizing it for the first time, "you think that _I _was the one who wasn't thinking clearly last night."

Lisbon found she was frozen in place, unable to break eye contact. Jane's eyes drifted to the floor as if considering his observation before looking back at Lisbon with a cheery grin.

"I think it's very sweet that you care that much not to hurt me, but it wasn't just a weak moment… sure I was a little sad, tired, lonely," he confessed, his eyes expressing sincerity, "but I don't regret it." Jane finished. Lisbon struggled for the right words, but ended up saying nothing in response. Jane flashed her a small comforting smile before he stepped back and slipped out the door and back into the empty garage. He figured, knowing Lisbon, she would need some time to think things over.

Lisbon found herself standing alone in the small room for several minutes as the realization hit her. Jane actually had feelings for her and she knew that she too secretly wanted to be with him.

Now the only question left was whether or not to act on those feelings.

* * *

_Ten minutes later…_

Lisbon entered the small restaurant and immediately recognized her team sitting in a red booth by the window. Rigsby and Van Pelt were squeezed together on one side of the booth, Cho had pulled up a chair so he could sit at the end of the table, and Jane was sitting by himself on the other side with a space next to the window. She presumed that the empty seat was reserved for her. Lisbon wandered towards the table. As soon as Jane saw her, he stood up and offered her the seat by the window. Lisbon hesitated, but Jane flashed her a soft smile that seemed to say that he wasn't going to embarrass her. She took a seat and noticed that the rest of the team had already ordered and were eating their meals.

Jane's words were still echoing in Lisbon's mind as she settled into her seat. She still wasn't sure how to react to what Jane had told her and was extremely self-conscious in his presence, but she was hungry and it seemed that Jane was willing to give her time to think and decide what she really wanted.

After a subtle nudge from Rigsby, Van Pelt made her announcement.

"We've made a group decision." She declared simply. Lisbon met her eyes, clearly confused.

"About what?"

"Sleeping arrangements. Since we're staying in town again." Van Pelt explained, glancing at Cho and Rigsby for support. Lisbon frowned, not liking the way her colleagues were conspiring against her. She looked at Jane, but found he was just as confused as she was. He too was eyeing the three agents curiously. Rigsby hesitated.

"Van Pelt has agreed to share our room and you and Jane can have the other." Rigsby finally confessed. Lisbon stared at him incredulously.

"I'm not sure…" Lisbon started with an embarrassed little smile, but Cho interrupted.

"You two look like hell and we don't want to wake up to _this_ again." Cho explained firmly, pulling his hand out from under the table and waving his painted fingers to prove his point. Just at that moment the waitress walked by their table and did a double-take as she noticed the Asian man's pink fingernails. Cho flashed her a glare and the woman hurried back to the kitchen. Jane grinned.

"I swear_ that _was Lisbon's idea." Jane pointed out.

"Jane!" Lisbon reprimanded, slapping him lightly on the arm with a playful smile.

"Ow," Jane remarked, rubbing his arm. Cho's lips curved slightly, confident that his plan would work.

"Based on what we saw this morning, we think you two will sleep much better if you share the same bed." Rigsby ventured, wary of his boss' reaction.

"Rigsby!" She scolded as her cheeks flushed a bright red. Jane laughed a little at his boldness. Lisbon turned towards the consultant and glared.

"I tend to agree." Jane defended. "I'm not sleeping in the same bed as those two." He added honestly.

Lisbon was on her own to fight this one.

"From what I heard, you two seemed cozy enough on the couch last night, so I'm not sure why you're against this decision." Cho commented shamelessly.

"Cho has a point." Jane interjected, receiving yet another glare from Lisbon.

"What side are you on?" She questioned and Jane smiled cleverly.

"The winning one." He replied.

"Then it's settled, Jane and Van Pelt are going to switch rooms." Cho finished, leaving no room for question.

"Fine." Lisbon surrendered reluctantly, suddenly very worried. How was she going to deal with Jane if they had to share a room?

**Thank you for reviewing!**

**What do you want to see in the final chapter?**


	10. Dates

**I'm sorry. I've been neglecting this story for weeks because I didn't like how I originally wrote the ending. Finally, I decided that I couldn't finish this story in one chapter and that I had to extend it. There will be one or two more chapters after this one, but hopefully I'll update faster this time! **

Chapter 10: Dates

The CBI team spent the rest of the day enjoying their free time.

Cho returned to his hotel room, locked the door, and continued reading the book he had started on the plane. No one saw him all afternoon.  
Meanwhile, after much persuasion, Van Pelt convinced Rigsby to join her, Lisbon, and Jane on a tour of the local vendors. They started in a small shop with miscellaneous items including jewelry and antique furnishings. The clerk was eager to get some customers and hovered over Van Pelt's shoulder as she examined the jewelry rack. Van Pelt dragged Rigsby with her and overwhelmed him with questions on which necklace looked best. He simply grinned and agreed with every word she said, finding them all beautiful on the redheaded agent.

After glancing over the store briefly, Jane stepped outside into the desert sun, enjoying the dry air and the silence. Lisbon stayed inside a little longer before feeling like a third wheel and deciding Rigsby and Van Pelt should spend the rest of the day together. She realized Jane was sitting on the steps outside and hesitated briefly before deciding to join him. He just sat on the steps, his elbows resting on his knees with his hands clasped together. She sat down next to him, making sure there was a sufficient amount of space between them. Jane noticed this out of the corner of his eye and smiled slightly.

Overall, they hadn't really said anything to each other since Jane's confession in the garage. To Lisbon's surprise, Jane hadn't pushed her regarding their pending relationship status. He hadn't said a word about them, hadn't hinted at anything, and had been his usual self, joking and playing tricks. Now he was quiet, silently observing the empty street. It resembled a ghost town.

Jane lifted his hand and pulled at his collar to help fan away some of the heat. Lisbon glanced at him, wanting to make conversation, but unsure of what to say.

"Those two belong together." He commented suddenly, not looking at Lisbon. She frowned curiously before realizing he was referring to Rigsby and Van Pelt. She looked over her shoulder at the oblivious agents in the store. She smiled. "They just don't know it yet." He added. Lisbon turned back to him, to find his gaze trained on her.

"I'm sure they'll figure it out." She replied, sensing that Jane was talking about more than just Rigsby and Van Pelt. Jane didn't reply and instead returned his gaze to the fairly empty street. A few minutes passed before he suddenly started smiling to himself, Lisbon watching him curiously.

"You know it doesn't have to be awkward." He commented turning to her with a knowing grin. Her eyes shifted anxiously.

"I'm not making it awkward." She defended.

"No, of course not." Jane replied sarcastically, knowing she didn't believe her own words. She looked at the floor, fidgeting slightly with her hands. Jane watched her intently and his impenetrable gaze made it even harder for her to sit still and pretend he had no effect on her. "You look nervous." He observed, tempted to place his hand on her arm to steady her constant movement. He didn't though, not wanting to scare her away.

"I'm not-" She tried to defend, but Jane interrupted, abruptly changing the subject.

"Do you want to get some ice cream and leave the two lovebirds to realize their feelings for each other?" He offered, enthusiasm sparkling in his bright blue eyes. Lisbon knew immediately that she didn't have nor want the power to say no. She smiled at him.

"Sounds great." She replied honestly. He got to his feet and turned, offering his hand to help her up off the steps. She eyed his hand hesitantly before accepting. He pulled her to her feet with a pleasant smile on his lips. He didn't let go of her hand and she frowned curiously. "You're not going to try to hold my hand, are you?" She asked, starting to blush a little. A part of her refused to accept the idea of them as anything besides friends and thus, she felt a little uneasy with him cradling her hand in his.

"What if I did?" He asked curiously, but released her hand nonetheless. She returned her hand to her side and tried to hide the tinge of disappointment she felt as his warmth left her palm. She bit her lip nervously. "I want to." Jane added, his eyes expressing sincerity.

Now that she knew he liked her, there was very little keeping him from showing it. He didn't want her to be uncomfortable around him though. She still seemed a little shocked by everything that had transpired over the past day and he really had no intention of pushing her on an answer. He knew she really liked him and now it was only a matter of convincing her a relationship would be a good idea.

"This is why it's awkward." She remarked, unable to look him in the eye.

Jane rolled his eyes.

"Oh come on, Teresa." He pleaded. "I promise I'll behave." Lisbon watched him warily.

"You're still calling me Teresa." She pointed out, her cheeks a permanent shade of pink.

"It's a beautiful name." He shrugged. "It suits you." He added sweetly, putting his hands in his vest pockets to keep himself from touching her.

"Can you be any more charming?" She remarked playfully, trying to lighten the tension between them.

"I can try." He replied with a devilish grin. "I'll buy." He persuaded. She sighed and took a few steps until she was next to him.

"This isn't a date." She stated firmly, trying to fight back a smile.

"I know. It's just two friends going out for some ice cream." He explained, nodding his head slightly as he said it. "Even though those two friends have an unspoken chemistry and the gentleman is buying." He added cleverly.

"Gentleman?" Lisbon asked skeptically, quirking her eyebrows. She settled into their friendly banter, getting more comfortable in his presence. He watched her expectantly until she finally sighed in defeat. "I guess it couldn't hurt, Patrick." She surrendered. She then walked past him and he paused before catching up and falling in step beside her.

His hands were still digging into the sides of his pockets as he led her to the local ice cream shop.

* * *

_Ten minutes later…_

Jane and Lisbon sat in a booth by one of the windows. The seat color was a bubblegum pink, which was deeply contrasted by a dark pebble gray tabletop. Jane had paid and had bought himself and Lisbon an ice cream cone with two scoops of different colored flavors. Lisbon had chosen one scoop of chocolate and one scoop of strawberry while Jane picked vanilla and a bright yellow lime. He and Lisbon were sitting across from each other, both licking their ice cream cones, while not trying to get caught looking at each other. Somehow their furtive glances turned into an all out staring contest, in which Jane won as Lisbon finally looked away to stop some strawberry ice cream from melting onto her hand. Jane smiled victoriously and Lisbon rolled her eyes at his immaturity, all the while a small smile tipped the corners of her lips.

Finally after another minute of silence, Lisbon decided to ask Jane a question she had always wondered about.

"How'd you decide to become a psychic?" She asked suddenly, catching Jane off guard. He paused in eating his ice cream to ponder his answer.

"I had a gift for exploiting people." He shrugged simply, taking another few licks of vanilla. Lisbon just waited for him to continue. "I used to lie a lot as a kid and I was naturally able to read people…. not as well as I can now, but the talent was there." He elaborated with a hint of resentment in his voice. It was obvious to Lisbon that Jane deeply despised whoever he had been before he had joined the CBI team.

"I'm sure it wasn't all bad." She commented. "I bet you really helped some people." She assured him. Jane shrugged indifferently.

"I did help some, but I didn't do it for the right reasons." He confessed, his eyes never leaving hers. "Why'd you become a cop?" He asked.

"You already know why." Lisbon answered, knowing that Jane probably knew more about her than she knew about him.

"I have an idea." He admitted, but still watched her expectantly, wanting to hear her own interpretation of her motives. She lowered her ice cream.

"I guess it was my own way of seeking justice for my own life after my… after my parents died." She confessed, wondering why she had even said it and why she found it hard to admit something that had happened in her childhood. "I wanted to help other people get closure." She added candidly.

"That's very noble of you." Jane commented simply, not questioning her further about her parents, knowing that some things were too personal to share.

"I imagine you joined law enforcement for similar reasons." Lisbon ventured. "To seek justice for yourself and also for other people." Jane simply stared at her. She began to get nervous with his gaze set on her. "What?" She asked impatiently. Jane smiled and reached over to the other side of the table to grab a napkin.

"You have ice cream on your cheek." He said before handing her the napkin. She accepted the napkin and cleaned her cheek. Jane just kept eyeing her with his curious blue eyes. She returned her gaze to him, wondering what he was thinking. "Did you know you have the prettiest emerald eyes?" He complimented suddenly, his tone expressing sincerity. She shifted in her seat as she could feel a tingling warmth rise in her cheeks.

"I thought you said you'd behave." She pointed out evenly.

"I am." Jane replied with a simple smile before returning his tongue to the ice cream. "I could've called attention to your blushing, but I didn't." He added with a clever grin as her cheeks flushed an even brighter red. She hated how he could do that to her. Instead of arguing, she decided to change the subject.

"Do you think they'll wonder where we are?" She questioned, focusing on the window instead of the consultant sitting in front of her.

"Not really." Jane answered, still watching her. She turned back to him, biting her lip slightly. If she kept it up, it'd become a new bad habit.

"What should we do until dinner?" She asked, now done with her ice cream.

"We can just talk if you want." Jane shrugged. "I'm not sure there's much else we can do." Lisbon considered this for a moment before surrendering to her playful side.

"Teach me a magic trick." She stated suddenly. Jane paused to eye Lisbon curiously before tossing the rest of his ice cream into a trash can near their booth. Then he turned back to Lisbon, seemingly pondering what magic trick he could do. He didn't have his deck of cards, or coins, or even silverware. He smiled as he glanced over the ice cream counter. He abruptly got up from the table and swept towards the counter where he snatched a knife from behind the counter and an orange from the decorative shelf. The orange was real and was meant to detail the freshness of the ingredients used in the store's orange sherbet ice cream. He settled back into his seat and placed the orange in the center of the table. He held both his hands over it and they hovered for a minute, as if he was studying the fruit, before he pulled back and sat back in his seat, resting his head against the pink booth.

"Guess how many sections are in this orange." He stated suddenly and Lisbon quirked her eyebrows again.

"Uh… random." She commented, but Jane simply waited for her answer.

"Seriously, if I cut it open how many parts will there be?" He furthered, childish excitement in his eyes. Lisbon refrained from rolling her eyes.

"May I?" She asked as held out her hand towards the orange. He nodded and she picked it up to examine it. She couldn't see that Jane had done anything to it, so she just guessed blindly.

"Eight." She offered, returning the orange to the center of the table. Jane grinned victoriously.

"Ten." He answered. Lisbon frowned curiously.

"Prove it." She challenged. Jane's grin broadened as he grabbed the knife and cut the orange in half. He then held up one half for Lisbon to see.

"Ten." He proved. Lisbon smiled at the absurdity of Jane's childish grin as he counted out ten neatly divided sections.

"How'd you know?" Lisbon questioned curiously. Jane matched her smile easily.

"Secretly pull off the stem." He shrugged, pointing to the small hole in the top. "Each of these little dots is where the stem connects to each section of the fruit." He explained, pointing at the small faint white dots. "Count the dots and you know how many parts without actually looking." He finished triumphantly. All he needed was a 'tada' to complete his big reveal. Lisbon laughed at him, amused by his insurmountable enthusiasm for something so simple as an orange.

"It's not that impressive." Lisbon told him and he shrugged, knowing that it wasn't the best trick, but that it at least succeeded in making Lisbon laugh. He then shared a bright 100-watt grin before cutting the orange into slices.

"I find the best tricks are eatable." He commented before putting one slice in his mouth. He then smiled with the orange peel trapped his mouth, revealing a silly orange smile rather than his pearly white teeth.

"You look like an idiot." Lisbon commented, trying to maintain a cold tone, yet a smile somehow broke through her façade and danced triumphantly on her lips. He took the peel out of his mouth and laughed, knowing it was a little childish, even for him.

Her smile then transformed into a little laugh that she tried to cover with her hand. Jane thought she probably had the cutest smile he'd ever seen. She always tries so hard to hide it and her eyes try to ignore that it's there, and yet she's smiling, her small reluctant smile contradicting the serious tone she tries to convey. He'd never really seen someone smile quite like she does.

"Want some?" He asked, offering her the other half of the orange.

"Thank you." She replied gratefully as she took a piece of orange. "Do you think Cho will ever leave his room?" She then asked, genuinely curious.

"After what you did to him…" Jane remarked, raising his eyebrows mischievously. Lisbon grinned and nodded her head in agreement. Jane's gaze then drifted to her hands, curiosity glistening in his blue eyes. "Do you actually wear the nail polish?" He asked.

"Sometimes… I guess." Lisbon answered uncertainly. Jane eyed her suspiciously.

"There must be some reason you brought it with you." He mused.

"I normally just grab my bag and stuff some random supplies in it." Lisbon defended.

"You knew you brought it which means you have a conscious reason for having it." Jane explained, trying to work through her reasoning. Lisbon focused her light green eyes on Jane, wondering how his intelligent mind works.

Jane figured that ever-prepared Lisbon must have brought the nail polish on the off chance she would need to dress up… for instance, if she got asked on a date.

"Maybe we should dress up tonight." He announced suddenly. Lisbon looked at him bemusedly.

"We're going to a local bar. That's not much of call for 'dressing up.'" She reminded him, unsure of what Jane was getting at.

"That's never stopped you before." Jane shrugged, recalling when he bought Lisbon an emerald green necklace from a casino and she had worn it to a casual bar. Before Lisbon could make another inquiry, Rigsby and Van Pelt entered the ice cream parlor.

"There you guys are!" Van Pelt exclaimed happily as she trotted over to the table with Rigsby standing close by her side.

"Hey." Rigsby remarked simply, wondering what Jane and Lisbon had been talking about before they arrived. Jane and Lisbon looked up at the two agents hovering by their table.

"Did we interrupt something?" Van Pelt asked hesitantly when neither of them said anything. Jane glanced at Lisbon and smiled.

"No. Not at all." He answered Van Pelt's question, turning back to the junior agent. He then scooted over, offering her a seat while Rigsby sat down next to Lisbon.  


* * *

Lisbon stared into the mirror and centered her cross necklace on her neck. She had darkened her eyes a little more than usual with eyeliner and mascara, and had put on a light shade of lipstick. She had chosen the nicest blouse she had brought on the trip, it was a thin material in a deep emerald green that matched her eyes perfectly. It was short-sleeved, cutting off at about T-shirt length, and she hadn't worn it very often, if at all, to the office. Actually, she wasn't entirely sure why she had brought it on the trip in the first place. She was also wearing her usual black pants and masculine shoes.

Even though Jane had implied she should, Lisbon hadn't painted her nails, not wanting to match Cho too much. She laughed a little, remembering the pranks Jane and her had pulled on their colleagues. She could never forget the look on their faces when the three agents confronted them earlier that morning.

Lisbon hoped she looked nice enough. She knew that deep down she wanted to look pretty for Jane, but she refused to admit it to herself, not believing she would try so hard to impress the consultant.

"Wow, Lisbon." Van Pelt remarked from beside her, suddenly appearing in the mirror. She had her long red hair down and it rested lightly on her shoulders. She was wearing a light blue V-neck top and a pair of dark denim jeans that she had luckily packed just in case she needed casual attire for an undercover job.

"What? Is it too much?" Lisbon quickly replied to her comment, a hint of insecurity in her voice and worry in her eyes.

"No. You look wonderful." Van Pelt assured her. She suddenly started grinning emphatically. "Are you trying to impress a certain blond-haired consultant?" She asked with a teasing smile. Lisbon's eyes shifted anxiously as she tried to summon a witty reply. "Trust me. You don't have to try very hard." Van Pelt added kindly as she turned back to the mirror so she could fix her hair. Lisbon frowned.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked, still a little flustered.

"One look and you'll have him wrapped around your finger." Van Pelt explained with a cheery grin.

"Like you have Rigsby?" Lisbon scoffed. Van Pelt didn't let her comment distract her. Instead she focused on the fact that Lisbon hadn't denied trying to impress Jane.

"I'm just saying that you don't have to worry what you look like. He'll like you no matter what." She clarified evenly. Lisbon stared at Van Pelt for a moment. Her words actually made her feel more secure and confident.

"I'm not trying to impress Jane." Lisbon added in a quiet voice. Van Pelt flashed her a disbelieving smile before putting up her comb and repacking her bag. After all, she was going to switch rooms with Jane tonight. She wasn't sure how Cho, Rigsby, and her were going to share a single bed, but that hadn't been the priority when they made the decision. The three agents were plotting revenge against Jane and Lisbon while simultaneously trying to get them to confess their obvious feelings for each other. Ever since they found them sleeping peacefully on the couch together in each other's arms, it was evident that they deserved each other.

Van Pelt hesitated before finally asking Lisbon. "If I kiss a coworker… would I be in jeopardy of losing my job?" She asked uncertainly. Lisbon turned away from the mirror so she could face the junior agent. She smiled slightly and decided to give her a straight answer.

"CBI can't fire you based on who you date." She told her directly, knowing exactly which coworker Van Pelt wanted to kiss. "They strongly disavow relationships between coworkers, but as long as you keep it out of the office, it's fine." She assured her and Van Pelt seemed relieved, a faint, hesitant smile gracing her lips. Lisbon watched the red-haired woman curiously. "Are you planning to kiss Rigsby?" She asked knowingly.

"I was thinking about it." Van Pelt confessed, her eyes trained shyly on the floor. She suddenly lifted her gaze to meet Lisbon's. "What should I do?" She asked hesitantly.

"It's your life." Lisbon shrugged indifferently. "Your decision." She added.

"I want to." Van Pelt admitted.

"Seems like a good enough reason." Lisbon assured her with a genuine smile.  


* * *

Rigsby tapped his fingers on the tabletop, partly out of boredom and partly out of anxiety. Cho was studying the menu intently while Jane just leaned back against the booth with his eyes closed and his hands intertwined behind his head. They couldn't order dinner until Van Pelt and Lisbon arrived.

"Here come the ladies." Cho's voice entered Jane's thoughts. He opened his eyes to find Lisbon and Van Pelt weaving through the crowd towards their corner booth. Jane froze as Lisbon approached the table, surprised by how beautiful Lisbon was. Sure, he already thought she was beautiful, but he'd never seen her in anything besides her work clothes. Technically the blouse and pants were semi-work clothes, but there was something different about how she carried herself. Her curly dark hair shimmered in the light and her eyes were accentuated by dark eye make-up and her pink lips seemed to glow. He found he couldn't stop staring.

"I saved you a seat." Rigsby told Van Pelt. He too was mesmerized by Van Pelt's beauty.

"Thanks," she replied happily. He smiled at her and she grinned back at him as she settled herself in between him and Cho. Meanwhile, Jane found himself staring at Lisbon, analyzing everything about her. Her cheeks flushed a bright red as she waited patiently in front of him with her hands clasped together behind her back. Cho, Rigsby, and Van Pelt focused their attention on Jane's paralysis.

"Patrick… you're staring." She pointed out, her eyes darting around the table nervously. It took another moment before he could process her words and snap out of daze.

"Uh… sorry." He stumbled a little, looking away briefly. Lisbon could've sworn she saw his cheeks flush a faint pink. "You look lovely." He complimented with a sincere smile.

"Thank you." She replied shyly, swaying a little as she waited for a seat. "May I sit?" She asked after another moment of him staring at her. He smiled at her, silently nodded, and scooted over. Rigsby then turned to Jane.

"So what's the plan for this evening?" Rigsby asked the consultant. Jane turned away from Lisbon and faced him, seemingly confused.

"What?" He asked, not hearing him.

"Well Jane is useless for the rest of the night." Cho remarked with the faintest smile. Lisbon blushed, Rigsby laughed, Van Pelt smiled, and Jane's eyebrows furrowed into a frown.

"I'm not-" He defended, but a waitress interrupted him with cheery smile.

"What would you folks like to drink?" She asked casually. Jane leaned back in his seat as they all placed their orders. This was going to be an interesting evening.


	11. Dances

**_Earthlydreamz,_ good luck on your upcoming tests! I hope everyone enjoys the update.**

Chapter 11: Dances

Dinner conversations ranged through the usual topics, mostly previous cases. After they finished their meals they dispersed. Jane and Van Pelt found themselves sitting at the bar together while Rigsby, Cho, and Lisbon stayed at the table. Jane enthusiastically taught Van Pelt to hone her observational skills by studying the other patrons in the restaurant. He'd explain to her who was married and who wasn't and who was drunk and who was faking. Van Pelt was intrigued and tried her best to make her own observations too. They both really enjoyed the conversation. Finally, Jane decided to check up on the rest of their friends and Van Pelt agreed, having lost sight of their table through the crowd of people dancing near the jukebox at the center of the large room. They grabbed their drinks and made their way through the crowd. Jane held Van Pelt's wrist so they wouldn't get separated.

They then made it to the table to find Cho and Rigsby sitting across from each other with their elbows on the table and their hands clasped together in an arm wrestling match. Lisbon sat in the middle of the booth, acting as the referee. Jane grinned as he moved towards the wall alongside the booth. He leaned his shoulder against it as he watched the scene in front of him. Van Pelt hovered in front of the table, intrigued by the arm wrestling. Rigsby wore a stern expression as he pushed Cho's hand closer and closer to the table. He was apparently winning. Cho clenched his teeth as his hand hovered over the table, at the brink of defeat.

"What exactly are you doing?" Jane asked, acting as if he'd never seen an arm wrestling match. Lisbon lifted her gaze and smiled, secretly overjoyed that Jane had returned. Cho and Rigsby also spared glances at the consultant before resuming their competition of strength.

"They're trying to prove their manliness." Lisbon quipped with an amused grin. Jane nodded his head in agreement. Lisbon couldn't quite place it, but there was something different about Jane. She tried desperately to define the change she saw in him, but she couldn't.

"Carry on." Jane waved them on while matching Lisbon's smile. Rigsby's eyes focused intently on Cho.

"I like your pretty pink nail polish, Cho." He remarked, drawing everyone's attention to his bright nails. Jane imagined a similar comment incited the arm wrestling match to begin with, Cho no doubt needing to defend his manliness. Cho frowned and almost growled as he summoned all his strength to push Rigsby's hand back in the other direction. Rigsby smiled, knowing his strategy would work. As soon as Cho's strength failed, Rigsby took advantage and pushed back, Cho's hand slamming painfully down on the hard wooden table. Cho yelped at the pain, pulled his hand away, and hid it under the table. Rigsby grinned victoriously, glancing up at Van Pelt, hoping to impress her. Like Jane, Van Pelt didn't quite understand the purpose of arm wrestling, but enjoyed watching nonetheless.

"Ha!" Rigsby remarked triumphantly. "Who's next?" He offered, his eyes immediately settling on Jane, knowing that Lisbon and Van Pelt weren't fair competition. Then again, Rigsby wasn't sure whether Jane was actually a viable opponent. "Jane!" He announced enthusiastically. Everyone turned to the consultant, who, for once, shied away from their pressuring eyes.

"Oh no way." He remarked, waving his hand to emphasis his point. "Arm wrestling is not exactly my strong suit." He explained candidly. Rigsby didn't back down.

"Are you chicken?" He teased and Jane smirked at the man's sudden confidence. Lisbon, Van Pelt, and Cho all pressured Jane to accept the challenge, interested to see Jane out of his comfort zone. When it comes to matching wits, Jane can't be beat, but in a match of strength… Rigsby has the advantage.

"No. I've just predicted the odds and there's a good chance you'll break my arm." Jane remarked before taking a sip of his beer. He had a valid point.

"I'll be easy on you." Rigsby insisted, confident that it would be a short match. Jane paused and considered his words before glancing over all his colleagues in turn. He smirked.

"Fancy a wager?" He challenged Rigsby. Rigsby was genuinely surprised by Jane's sudden change of heart. He stumbled a little.

"I'm not going to let you win." He clarified. Lisbon watched Jane curiously, knowing that he had to have some sort of plan.

"Are you turning down a bet?" Jane asked, feigning shock. Rigsby fell back on his words.

"Twenty bucks." He bet.

"Is that it?" Jane remarked. Rigsby recoiled before upping the bet.

"Thirty." He stated. Jane's grin widened as he set his drink on the table and sat down in the spot that Cho had just vacated. He then, having already taken off his jacket earlier in the evening, rolled up his sleeves and placed his elbow on the table. Rigsby still seemed surprised that Jane accepted his challenge, let alone made a bet.

Rigsby set his elbow firmly on the table and grabbed Jane's hand.

"You sure you want to lose thirty bucks?" Rigsby teased, but Jane simply smiled and quirked his eyebrows. Lisbon leaned forward so she could call the start.

"Go." She stated suddenly and Rigsby quickly tightened his grip on Jane's hand and shoved his hand back towards the table. Jane grimaced at the pressure Rigsby put on his hand, but managed to stop his hand a few inches from the top of the table. Jane tried to push back Rigsby's hand, but found he couldn't. He only had enough strength to keep from losing, but he had no hope of winning. Rigsby grinned with an air of calmness surrounding him. It wouldn't be long before Jane would break under the pressure. Rigsby made it look easy as he kept Jane on the brink of surrender. Meanwhile, a tinge of red graced Jane's cheeks as he clenched his teeth at the pain radiating from his hand down to his elbow. Lisbon frowned, wondering whether she should end the match before Rigsby really did break Jane's arm. She glanced over at Cho and Van Pelt who seemed to agree that it wasn't a fair fight.

But before she could intervene, Jane flashed Rigsby a smile, leaned over, and placed a kiss on the back of his hand.

"What the hell!" Rigsby remarked. Rigsby tried to pull away, shocked by the man's conduct, but Jane firmly held on to his hand. During a brief moment of confusion, in which Rigsby let his guard down, Jane took advantage and turned the tables, shoving Rigsby's hand in the other direction. Rigsby recovered slightly and fought against Jane as his hand hovered an inch above the table. Jane summoned all his strength and after flashing him another smile, pushed his hand back against the table.

As soon as the match was over, Jane released his hand and pulled away with a victorious grin dancing on his lips. "I win!" He announced enthusiastically. The redness was starting to fade from his cheeks and he had to rub his hand with his thumb to regain blood flow to his fingers. Rigsby just stared at him in disbelief, still dumbfounded by Jane kissing his hand.

"You kissed my hand!" He exclaimed, more surprised than angry. He rubbed the back of his hand as if to clean off the spot where Jane's lips had touched his skin. Jane grinned triumphantly. Lisbon couldn't stop herself from laughing while Cho seemed thoroughly amused. Van Pelt was just as surprised by the kiss as Rigsby was, her mouth open slightly in shock. Jane held his hand out towards Rigsby.

"You owe me thirty bucks." He announced. Rigsby frowned.

"No. You cheated!" He rebuked.

"You never said he couldn't kiss your hand." Lisbon defended with a shrug, before starting into another fit of laughter. Even Cho couldn't fight back a grin.

"He did beat you." Cho affirmed. Van Pelt started smiling too. Rigsby just stared at them all incredulously.

"All I did was distract you." Jane explained. "You did the same thing to Cho by commenting on his feminine nails." He furthered, receiving an even glare from Cho.

"But you kissed me!" Rigsby announced in a loud voice, his words drawing the attention of other people in the restaurant. Rigsby shied away from their looks, his cheeks flushing a faint pink. Jane just grinned incessantly.

"This is priceless." Lisbon remarked happily, thoroughly amused.

"Actually, it costs thirty bucks." Jane corrected her, still waiting for Rigsby to pay.

"I want a rematch." Rigsby responded with a frown, but surrendered the money nonetheless.

"No." Jane replied simply as he pocketed the cash. He then turned to Lisbon. "Teresa, would you like to dance?" He asked suddenly, catching her completely off guard. She paused.

"Uh… now?" She stumbled, her cheeks flushing a bright red.

"Yes." He answered simply. Everyone's eyes settled on Lisbon and she knew she couldn't refuse. Actually, she was flattered, secretly overjoyed at the prospect of dancing with the man she liked.

"Sure." She answered, her eyes darting nervously around the table. Jane and Lisbon squeezed out of the booth and Jane offered her his hand. She hesitated, sparing a glance over her shoulder at the rest of the team. They all seemed amused by Jane's request and Lisbon's hesitation. She turned back to Jane who flashed her a reassuring smile. She smiled back at him and accepted his hand.

He happily led her to the dance floor at the center of the room and gently placed his hand on her waist, making her blush again. She rested her arm on top of his, glancing up at his eyes. "I thought for a moment that Rigsby was going to break your arm." She commented. Jane smiled.

"You doubted me?" He teased. She leaned in, getting a little closer to him, swaying as they got used to the idea of dancing together.

"Just for a moment." She defended with a cute little smile. Jane tightened his hold on her hand and decided to spin her around a few times. He did and Lisbon laughed slightly, feeling a little silly, but enjoying it nonetheless. She couldn't remember the last time she had danced, let alone with a partner. Jane pulled Lisbon back towards him and caught her, wrapping his arm around her waist, his hand resting on the small of her back. She didn't mind the closeness, her worries forgotten as Jane's sweet-smelling cologne overwhelmed her senses. She felt excitement and sheer undiminished joy as she leaned her head against his shoulder, a light smile gracing her lips. The song changed and something softer and melodic started to play.

"You're a talented dancer." He said breathlessly into her soft, dark hair as it brushed against his cheek. He hadn't been this close to her since they had kissed and he was faintly surprised that she let him.

"Thanks." She replied, pulling back slightly so she could see his eyes. Jane flashed her a smile. "It takes a good partner." She remarked honestly. Jane tilted his head, overwhelmingly tempted to press his lips against her smile. He didn't though, summoning all his will not to kiss her. She was happy, content in his embrace, and he wasn't going to make any moves that could jeopardize that.

Instead he rested his head against hers, placing a light kiss in her hair. She didn't pull away, but felt a knot build up in her chest as her mind focused on each individual touch. She felt his fingers brushing lightly along her hip and his warm breath on her ear. She could somehow tell he was smiling. The dance was becoming intimate and she found she liked it. She closed her eyes and tried to pretend it was just her and Jane, with no one else in the world. She succeeded until the song changed to something faster and Jane pulled away slightly. She opened her eyes and glanced around the dance floor to find Rigsby and Van Pelt dancing together, swaying and curving to the beat. She turned her head so she could see Jane's eyes and he was calm and content, his hands still holding to her hips. Then she looked over at their table to see Cho sitting by himself.

Jane followed her gaze before turning back to Lisbon with a question in his eyes. She looked down before meeting his gaze.

"Don't you feel a little guilty?" She asked curiously.

"About what?" Jane questioned.

"Cho." Lisbon answered simply, referring to how she had painted his nails.

"It was your idea." Jane pointed out and Lisbon glared at him. Jane smiled softly. "If you want to make him feel better maybe you should ask him to dance." He suggested. Lisbon seemed surprised and tried to see whether Jane was serious. "I won't mind. It's not like I'm going to be insanely jealous or anything." Jane added.

"No, I mean… Cho doesn't dance." Lisbon explained.

"Have you ever asked him?" Jane asked. Lisbon thought this over, knowing she hadn't.

"He doesn't seem like the type." She told him, sparing another glance at her friend. "He is all alone though." She commented, turning her eyes to meet Jane's. "So you really don't mind sitting out for awhile?" She clarified. Jane flashed her a brilliant 100-watt grin.

"Not at all." He replied as he let his hands fall from her hips. Lisbon already missed his touch and sensing this, Jane grasped her hand and led her back to the table. Cho took a sip of his drink, eyeing the two suspiciously. Once they reached the table Jane released her hand, but slipped it up her arm, giving her an encouraging pat on the shoulder. He then settled into the booth across from Cho. The Asian man frowned curiously.

"Cho." Lisbon addressed him. Cho turned his eyes back to her, puzzled.

"Yes, boss?" He replied. Lisbon glanced over at Jane who had his hand near his mouth in an attempt to hide his smile.

"Do you want to dance?" Lisbon asked with a pleasant smile. Surprise flashed in Cho's eyes before he hid it under a mask of suspicion.

"I don't dance." Cho answered bluntly.

"Liar." Jane pointed out. Cho glanced at him before turning back to Lisbon. Her eyebrows were raised, not believing his excuse. Her expectant gaze matched Jane's perfectly.

"So you're date doesn't mind?" Cho asked, surprised. He glanced over at Jane, whose smile brightened. Lisbon's cheeks flushed as she swayed slightly.

"Jane's not my-" She tried to correct him, but Jane interrupted.

"I don't." Jane assured him blithely. Lisbon glared at him before turning back to Cho. "Go." Jane added, hurriedly gesturing for Cho to accept. Cho didn't move, focusing his gaze intently on Lisbon. She grinned.

"It's an order." Lisbon explained. Cho accepted defeat and got to his feet so he could stand next to Lisbon. He wasn't sure how he felt about dancing with his boss. He couldn't get used to the idea of her not having a gun on her hip. Despite this uncertainty, he was secretly happy she asked, having felt a little lonely and out of place after Rigsby and Van Pelt had gone off to dance together. Lisbon grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the dance floor, taking control of the situation. Cho glanced over his shoulder at Jane who simply waved at him before stealing his drink.

Lisbon placed her hands on his shoulders and turned Cho to face her, giving him a reassuring smile. Cho returned the smile faintly before placing his hands on her waist. She then wrapped her arms around his shoulders, intertwining her fingers behind his neck. The dance wasn't intimate like it had been with Jane, but it was friendly. Cho and Lisbon shared a professional relationship, but also considered each other friends. Cho admired Lisbon and had a lot of respect for the senior agent. They'd known each other longer than anyone else on the team.

"I'm sorry about your nails." Lisbon admitted. Cho frowned, glancing down at his fingers as if he had forgotten. "Oh come on, you can't possibly hold a grudge against me." Lisbon added.

"I'm not." Cho responded simply, but Lisbon wasn't convinced. Cho edged a little closer to Lisbon, feeling more comfortable in her presence. He glanced over her shoulder at Jane who was unsurprisingly watching Lisbon and him. It did surprise him, however, that he was letting him dance with her. Cho knew Jane was possessive of Lisbon, but then again, it was just a dance. Cho focused his eyes on Lisbon, realizing he had never been this close to her.

"I don't understand your taste in men, but for what it's worth, he's a good guy." Cho commented brusquely. Lisbon blushed, not looking Cho in the eye.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She lied and Cho's lips curved slightly into a barely perceptible smile.

"He tries really hard to make you happy." He observed, glancing over at the consultant. Lisbon hesitantly met his gaze, trying her best to maintain a firm glare. "You should let him." He finished bluntly and her glare faltered, her cheeks even redder than before. She didn't say anything and Cho took control and started to lead the dance, swaying to the beat of the song. He pretended not to notice the numerous glances Lisbon spared in Jane's direction as they danced.

**There is more Jisbon coming in the next chapter!**


End file.
